Forbidden Gods
by Lavi's Lucky Lady Thirteen
Summary: FORBIDDEN: adj. 1. to command a person not to do something. 2. to make impossible. MONSTER: n. any creature so ugly or grotesque as to frighten people. AVENGERS OF GOD: n. The Jonah LaviXOC KandaXOC LenaleeXAllen
1. In The Beginning

~Hey! Brand new and wanted to see what everyone thought! I made this one up in the middle of my religious activities. I love spacing out…This is based on the manga, not the anime. So if anything seems incorrect to you, feel free to message me. But be sure to have substantial proof before you try to correct me (i. e. In episode #00, Allen didn't get stabbed in the eye, he got stabbed in the liver.).~

~I don't own ANYONE from D. Gray-Man or You Know My Name by Chris Cornell. The Jonah idea was mine.~

-AND GOD SAID UNTO JONAH'S POSTERITY, GO UNTO NINEVAH AND DESTROY THY MORTAL ENEMIES, FOR THEY HAVE FALLEN FROM MY PRESCENCE….-

One could suppose this side of HQ wasn't normally traversed by the regular members of the Black Order. It was just too depressing. The floor was stained white tile, the walls an off white that looked reddish brown when the light of the soft florescents didn't reach it. The doors though…The locked doors with barred windows that still let the screams and moans and giggling escape…That's what got to our famous four.

Kanda 'harumph'ed though it sounded a little shaky.

"Scared, Yu-chan?" Lavi smirked, but his hands twitched restlessly.

"Don't make me laugh." Kanda sneered.

"Hey you two…" Lenalee squeaked and jumped back as somebody started rattling the door right next to her.

"You okay Lenalee?" Allen looked at her worriedly.

Lavi rolled his eyes and shared a look with Kanda. It was so obvious Allen was head over heels for the girl exorcist.

"I…I'm fine…" Lenalee brushed herself off.

"Gee, I wonder what happened to them all…" Allen whispered, half in awe, half in fear.

"The akuma. What else?" A voice breathed in his ear.

Lenalee screamed and grabbed Allen's arm, who put a hand up in between himself and whatever was there in an attempt of protection. Lavi jumped back with Kanda, who had his sword out before you could say 'katana'.

Komui emerged into the light, a bright smile on his face. "Wow! Wonderful reaction time! Glad to know we're all in top shape!"

There was a collective sigh of relief and exasperation as everyone relaxed.

Komui's expression turned from playful to serious. "I did, however, bring you four down here for a more substantial purpose." He pushed past them and started to walk, explaining as they followed. "Allen, you remember that girl Road who said she was from a clan called Noah?"

"How could I forget?" Allen said bitterly, touching his left eye. It had yet to heal over from the violent encounter.

Lenalee looked at the ground, lost in her own bitter reverie of the incident.

"Well when you brought this subject to our attention, we decided to further research it." Komui paused for a minute to peer at a dimly lit old sign. "302 that way." He muttered, pointing and readjusting his glasses. "Anyway," Komui continued, "We found out that the Noah are an ancient bloodline that had turned their backs on God to follow the Earl and his designs. Very dangerous and very unstable."

"Wonderful. First akuma, then Noah." Lavi muttered.

"I'm not scared." Kanda said arrogantly. "We just need to know how to kill them, that's all."

Komui held up a finger. "The plot thickens, boys. There's another bloodline commited to the extermination of the Noah and, consequently, the only ones who know how to get rid of them."

"Really? Who is it? Are they going to help us?" Lenalee asked.

"We don't know much about them besides they are called the Jonah…" Komui stopped at a door and opened it.

Inside, an old feeble man in a tight white jacket and pants was walking in a circle that looked worn from constant use. He was muttering under his breath, his eyes on the floor. On the walls was the words Jonah, and Rochezqua, all written around the one large mark on the floor that resembled a J mixed with a cross. He was circling around the middle of it. All of it seemed to be written in whatever he could get his hands on. Marker…crayon…pencil…pen…blood…

"…And this is what the Jonah do to their enemies." Komui finished softly.

Everyone seemed frozen in horror, the man's sorry state etched in their minds like the scratched names on the walls.

"We sent him fifty years ago to investigate strange occurrences in a small town in Romania. He came back like this." Komui watched him impassively. "Our sources suggest there's one in South America that goes by a different name. A Tsume. You three are to go and reason with it to join our side, since they are, in this battle, on neither side. If it won't listen to you, capture it an-"

Suddenly the old man stopped his pacing and started to laugh. It was a harsh racous sound that ate away at everyone's senses. "C-capture her, sir?" He turned, his eyes black and insane. "There is no capturing a Jonah! They cut you to pieces then make you eat those pieces! They're gods of evil! The Avengers of-!" The man began to aspirate and choke, violently shaking where he stood. He fell to the ground, twisting and writhing on the sign he had scratched out in his own blood.

Komui pressed a button and pushed everyone out of the way. "Come, come. He needs medical attention and it's best not to get in the way." He said.

They watched as white medics rushed in to save the old man.

There was a silence between them as they listened to the man's desperate wheezing.

"Is…is the Jonah…the same as…as the one that did this to him…?" Allen asked, his voice sounding raspy.

Komui hesitated. "We don't know. All we could get out of him was this…Rochezqua…had bright blue eyes that made the sons of Adam do as she wanted…"

"So…if this…Tsume has bright blue eyes…?" Kanda asked.

"You run." Komui said softly. "You run and you don't look back."

*~*

"Kiwis! Venta kiwis!" (Kiwis! Fresh Kiwis!)

-AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT THE JONAHS WERE A CHOSEN PEOPLE…-

"Comprar dos conseguir uno gratis!" (Buy one get one free!)

-…HIGHER AND MORE GLORIOUS THEN THE DESCENDANTS OF ADAM…-

"Dama que quiere una manzana?" (Hey lady you want an apple?)

Bright blue eyes pierced into the vendor's very being, threatening to unravel it.

"Quiero que mi alma." (I want my soul.)

His eyes rolled back into his head as he screamed. The market place went silent as every fearful brown eye turned to him and the black clothed figure.

-…A PEOPLE TOUCHED BY THE AWFUL MIGHT OF GOD…-

The black robed being grabbed an apple that had fallen to the ground as the vendor started a mad slaughter of anyone too close. The apple crunched as the nails on the being's hand pierced it. Juice dribbled to the ground.

"Ya no quiero ser condenado. Quiero ser natural y su conjunto. Y las manzanas no se cura esto. Quiero que mi alma." (I do not want to be condemned. I want to be natural and whole. And the apple does not cure it. I want my soul.)

The apple hit the ground with a thump as the being walked away from the screams and yells and cries of the descendants of Adam.

-…YEA, A PEOPLE SO POWERFUL THAT THEY WERE SO NAMED **THE AVENGERS OF GOD**…-

*~*

Allen was sitting in the cafeteria when Lavi found him. Lavi stopped and watched him for a bit, noting the listless attitude on the younger boy's face. He smiled. Sure he'd only known Allen for a little while, but the kid grew on everyone. Except Kanda, of course, but Yu-chan was the exception to every rule in the 'How-to-make-a-friend' book. He walked in and sat down next to him, elbows on the table as he cupped his face. "Hey there, kid. What's up?"

Allen blinked at him owlishly and smiled a little. "Nothing. Just thinking…"

"About?"

"Well…" Allen hesitated and looked at the table. He drew circles on the wood with one finger. "It's kinda a long story."

"Well…" Lavi stretched. "I'm done packin' so I've got some time."

Allen frowned. "Well…when Lenalee and I went to go save Miranda…there was this akuma…and Road, the Noah told it to self destuct…And I went to save it, but Lenalee pulled me back…"

"Mmhmm?" Lavi prodded.

"And well…" The younger boy sighed. "I kinda yelled at her. And I don't think she's forgiven me yet. But I don't know how to apologize to her because everytime I get the chance, there's always something that comes up or gets in the way…"

"Ah." Lavi nodded. "I see." He rubbed his arm, thinking. "Well…then don't apologize."

Allen started and turned his head to Lavi. "What?! I can't do that!!"

Lavi shrugged. "Why not?"

"Because that's not polite! And I owe her an apology!"

"Well if you can't make it, like you said, then why even try?" Lavi smiled and let his head rest on his hand as he peered lazily at Allen out of a half lidded eye.

Allen turned back to the table, thinking this over. "Well…because she's my friend…and I guess…I guess I should anyway…and stop making excuses…I mean, we'll have plenty of times on this trip, right?"

Lavi just smiled. "Sure, kid."

A comfortable silence fell between them.

"Are you scared?" Allen asked.

"About?"

"Not coming back after this mission…not winning the war…dying in general, I guess…"

"Nope."

Allen stared at him. "Why not?"

Lavi chuckled. "If I worried about all that, I don't think I could get anything done. True?"

"True." Allen smiled.

Again, a nice and gentle silence.

Allen stood. "Thanks Lavi."

Lavi opened his mouth to ask what for, but instead, just nodded. "Get some sleep Allen. It's gonna be a long trip."

After Allen left, Lavi put his head down on top of his arms on the table, staring off into space. Having friends wasn't in the job description for him and influencing them like this was definitely against the rules. If Old Panda found out, he'd throw a fit that'd rival a Tsunami. But still, Lavi smiled and chuckled at himself. It was nice to feel like he'd at least helped. He had a feeling that kid had a lot in front of him and any help he could give would ease whatever burden was going to be placed on his shoulders.

Lavi stood and yawned, stretching again. Time for bed. It was going to be a long day tomorrow.

*~*

When the sunlight hit the curtains in Allen's room, he was already awake. His eye had been acting up lately with a vengeance and sleep had only given him nightmares. Nightmares about akuma…blue eyes…Road…Lenalee…more blue eyes…

He sighed, rubbing the shoulder of his left arm. He couldn't wait to get it out of the sling and stretch it, but it still killed considerably if he even stretched it out to a normal resting position. He frowned absently as he felt flashes of memory go through his head about the night they had saved Miranda, followed by a hot burning of guilt and shame as he thought on Lenalee's face. "Well…today'll be different." He whispered. "Today, I'm going to apologize. I mean it. And I won't be afraid for me or for anyone else. Not today."

Now if only his words didn't sound so lost and lonely…

*~*

Lavi yawned and glanced at everyone as they filed into the hall. "So you're not coming, Old Man?"

The Bookman glared at Lavi before looking more serene and wise. "I think it would be wise to turn you loose just this once."

Lavi blinked. That was different. "This is one of the most historic missions of the Black Order, and you're letting me go?"

"Yes." His tone suggested that more prying would not only be unwelcome, but would be met with violence.

Lavi smirked. "Arthiritis again, Old Man? You really should get that taken ca-"

Lenalee blinked as she heard a sound of painful violence and turned around. "Lavi…?"

Lavi was on the ground, face first, having already skimmed over the rug at least five times. "Oooowwww…." He groaned, dragging himself up. "I have rug burns on my face…"

Kanda snorted. "Honestly…"

"Stop picking on him, Kanda!" Lenalee put her hands on her hips.

Allen stood withdrawn, watching the scene, looking troubled.

Lavi, rubbing his face, watched him worriedly. He didn't look to good.

"He deserves it." Kanda retorted.

"You're just jealous cause I can get the ladies, Kanda." Lavi smirked.

Kanda turned his head away and harrumphed.

Komui stepped into the hall. "Everyone ready? Then off you go!"

*~*

Tsume was alone again, watching the predatory animal that watched her. Both had the same glint in their eyes that seemed to be dangerous and exciting at the same time. Her clothes were dirty and torn from wandering weeks in this jungle, her skin the same crystal clear pale as when she had stepped into this place, though it should've been dark brown from all the exposure to the sun. But her bright blue eyes, wide and clear, were the scariest part about her. Not her perfect figure, not her long soft brown hair, just her eyes.

"This isn't the place for things like you, baby." She whispered, watching the large animal start to advance. "Leave now."

It crouched, tail lazily waving in anticipation. It's eyes were focused on her and only her.

Tsume didn't tense. Didn't move, didn't flinch. Just stared back, her eyelids half closed over her bright cerulean orbs.

Suddenly, it pounced on her, revealing itself to be a sleek one hundred fifty nine kilogram melanistic jaguar. The sleek rippling muscles under the black coat promised a quick death for the prey that fell under it's large claws.

Tsume's eyes flew wide open and she snarled, the sound feral and unearthly. Her fist flew up with impossible speed and impacted itself into the front of the jaguar's chest. It penetrated, blistering through the sternum and flesh as it traveled through on it's warpath.

The jaguar, it's eyes clouded in confusion and pain, stopped and let itself fall. It tried to swat her away, raising a large paw.

Tsume's hand closed around it's heart and she yanked her arm out, pushing herself into the tree and making an imprint in the ancient bark.

The animal, unsteady on it's feet, pranced for a bit in a final wave of death throes as its brain shut down. Blood, dark thick and black in the light, poured out of the brand new cavity in it's body. It fell to the ground, it's mouth open as blood forced it's way up through the throat.

Tsume stared at the dead animal at her feet, the still heart in her hand. "I don't know who I really am and I don't like it." Her hands started to tremble as tears spilled down her face. "I don't know who I am I don't know who I am I don't know who I am…" She stared to sob, throwing the heart at the dead cat. She drew her knees up to her chest and buried her head in her bloody hands. "Who am I? Who am I?"

A leather bound book at her side slid down the root to the edge of the pool of blood spreading from the animal. On the front, in curly script, it read: You're name is Tsume and you are an Avenger of God. You are a Jonah.

~Whatcha think? It's a weird one but it works! ^^ Please review!!!~


	2. A New Name

~Gah! Prickly legs! *itches extensively* anyway, I got the inspiration for this next chapter from the song Hotel California by the Eagles. :D um…I'm gonna try and update at least one chapter every month. If I don't, go ahead and plague me with the emails.~

~I don't own anyone from D. Gray-Man or the song You Know My Name by Chris Cornell, which this fanfiction is based after. I do, however, own the idea of the Jonah.~

Chapter 2

-…From when you are five years old to when you are the apocalyptic age of twenty, you are to write in this notebook every single day of what has happened to you…-

Tsume watched from the shadows as they entered the forest. There had been murmurings all over the place of 'more pale faces' entering into the small town. Everyone else was hiding, scared silly because of herself.

There was four; a greenish haired Chinese girl with a short skirt and long boots, a long haired Japanese boy with a permanent scowl and a long sword strapped to him, a small boy with white hair and a strange arm in a sling, and a red haired boy with an eye patch.

Tsume caught snatches of their conversation as she pressed her eye to the hole in the wall of the tiny shack.

"…name's Tsume, right?" Whitey asked.

"Yeah….said that somebody around here would know…" Eye patch grinned.

"…Can't speak…" Sword Man scowled even more.

"I can…simple." Boot Girl said brightly.

"Go for it….lee." Eye Patch shrugged.

Boot Girl took a deep breath and yelled. "Oye, aquí nadie puede ayudarnos?!" (Hey, can anybody here help?)

An old woman, who's son had gone after Tsume and never returned, came out. "Por favor, vete! No más demonios en esta ciudad! El otro demonio es aquí y nos matarán a todos! Por favor, vete!" (Please go! No more demons in this city! The other demon is here and will kill us all! Please go!)

Tsume hissed angrily. She'd been given away.

Boot Girl bended down slightly to look the wrinkled old woman in the eye. "No somos demonios." She said kindly. "Hemos llegado a librarse de lo que usted tiene. Por favor, díganos dónde está." (We are not demons…. We have come to get rid of the one you have. Please tell us where she is.)

The old woman hesitated and then pointed at where Tsume was hiding with her blue eyes narrowed in anger. "Allí." (There.)

Tsume tore apart a hole in the wall of the shack. The thing collapsed around her, a ruin where she had been. The effect was almost supernatural. The dust settling around her in her torn black clothes, the cloak part of it swirling around her ankles as she walked. "¿Qué quieres conmigo?" She asked coldly. (What do you want with me?)

Whitey's left arm in it's sling twitched, Sword Man's sword was indeed out and ready to use, and there was suddenly a giant hammer in Eye Patch's hands. Only Boot Girl remained calm.

"Are you Tsume, the Jonah?" Boot Girl asked.

"I…I am." Tsume hesitated, her eyes flickering uncertainly.

"We are exorcists from The Black Order. We've come to ask for your help." Boot Girl said softly.

-…When you feel you are ready, you will travel to Romania and find out your true purpose in life…-

-…BUT THE JONAH WERE A SINFUL CLAN….-

"What do you want from me?" Tsume asked wary.

"Blue eyes…!" Whitey said breathlessly. "She has blue eyes…!"

"Allen!" Eye Patch said sharply.

"We want you to help us. We hear you have a vendetta against the Noah." Boot Girl offered a hand in a peaceful gesture.

Tsume stared at them. She felt confused and frustrated. "Why…How do you know who I am…?"

"You don't?" Eye Patch blinked. "Know who you are, I mean?" He lowered his giant hammer.

Tsume shook her head, then put it in between her hands. "I don't… I don't know who I am…"

The group exchanged a look. This was going to be harder then they originally thought.

"Will you…" Tsume hesitated. "I know I'm special and I…I think I can help you…but if I do, will you help me figure out who I am…?"

"Sure!" Boot Girl smiled. "We can do that!"

Tsume hesitated again. "I…I have to do something first…" She turned to the old lady who was trembling on the ground, to afraid to run or scream. She knelt in front of her, her head bowed. "Lo siento por el asesinato de su hijo. Lo siento por el dolor que causan. ¿Puedes perdonarme?" (Sorry for the murder of your son. Sorry for the pain I caused. Can you forgive me?)

The old woman, shocked, reached out a wrinkled hand to touch the top of Tsume's dark and dirty head. "Per….Perdonar ...?" (For…forgive…?)

The whistling sound of an arrow piercing through the air was heard and the sickly thunk of it making contact with flesh.

The woman screamed as Tsume fell over, blood pouring out of the top of her head.

Lavi cursed. "They killed her?!"

"They were scared!" Lenalee yelled as a riot started to ensue. "They didn't know what she was going to do!"

"What DID she do?!" Kanda yelled, grimacing as the villagers started to circle them like starving wolves.

"I apologized."

They all gasped as she pushed herself up off the ground and looked at them, blood coursing down her face. She took a hold of the arrow, and with a wince, yanked it out. More blood fountained out of the top of her head.

"What the…?!" Allen gasped.

Tsume smiled wryly at the arrow. "I can't die. Mortal wounds don't affect me. They do hurt though…" She tenderly touched the top of her head. Then she pointed at the crowd. "They want to kill you too. They know you were being kind to me. I suggest we run."

"Great idea!" Lavi jerked his thumb towards himself. "Everyone hang on! I'm gonna try something!"

Tsume grabbed onto his arm, Lenalee grabbed onto her jacket, and Allen grabbed onto Lenalee's hand. Kanda folded his arms and turned his back. "I'd rather die."

"KANDA!!!" They all yelled.

He glared at them, then looked at the crowd of blood thirsty people. "Fine…" He grumbled. He distastefully grabbed onto Allen's shirt.

"Everyone hold on tight!" Lavi yelled. He winked at Tsume. "Welcome aboard, sweetheart."

Tsume blushed.

"Big Hammer, Little Hammer, Grow grow GROW!" Lavi yelled. The hammer extended, growing extremely large. It propelled them upwards with an incredible force, til they were almost touching the clouds, then it stopped. It swayed there for a bit, letting everyone get a better grip on the person above them.

"Lavi!! I'm going to kill you!!" Kanda screamed from below him.

Tsume whimpered and tightened her grip on his arm.

Lavi chuckled. "Love ya too, Yu-chan! Everyone hold on again!" He leaned to one side, towards the forest on the outskirts of the village. With incredible strength that even Tsume marveled, he pushed the hammer up and over his head and swung it towards the ground as they fell. "Wind stamp!"

The rain forest below them exploded as the air buffeted them, tearing them from each other. Only Tsume and Lavi remained attached, falling towards the ground.

The hammer shrank as they plummeted and Tsume let out a scream. Suddenly, feet before their death, their descent slowed as Lavi touched the ground, Tsume with him, still clinging to his arm.

The fierce wind died down. Leaving them in a large clearing the size of the bottom of the hammer had been when they had been up in the clouds.

Lavi let out a sigh, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Well…that was exhausting…" Then he winced. "Ow. Tsume." He wiggled his arm.

She slowly let go, glancing down. Her pale bloodless fingers lifted off his skin to reveal deep purple imprints. She gasped. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to I was just-!"

"Lavi I'm gonna scalp you!!!" Kanda roared, popping out of the bushes like a very pissed off predator.

Allen stood up, dizzy, and helped Lenalee out of a bush beside him. "Lenalee! You okay?"

"You can later, Yu-chan." Lavi jerked his thumb at the village. "We oughtta run now."

"Where?" Lenalee asked, tenderly touching a new cut on her head.

"There's another town a days walk from here." Tsume said slowly. "It has a port that'll take you anywhere in the world…for a price. We can lose the villagers in the jungle and go from there."

"Lead on, sweatheart." Lavi gestured.

Tsume nodded and started into the woods. "Keep up!" She started a brisk jog as the villager's cries of outrage were heard.

Kanda hissed at Lavi and followed behind her. "This isn't over, Bookman."

"I sure hope not!" Lavi smirked. "It wouldn't be any fun if you forgave me!"

Lenalee followed behind him.

Allen grabbed her hand. "Wait, Lenalee, I want-"

"Not now Allen." Lenalee said, sounding irritated. She pulled her hand away and jogged to keep up.

Allen sighed and started after them.

*~*

They emerged that night from the forest into town, exhausted and dirty and feeling beaten. Even Lavi had lost his constant smirk and his usual carefree attitude.

Tsume was still bleeding, feeling dizzy and uncertain. "There's…there's the hotel…" She gasped. "We're…we're not gonna get anyone…anyone to take us that's…that's honorable during the night…" She pointed at a three story high building, a marvel in this foreign country. It was surrounded by vendors selling their wares and other buildings. It stood next to the port, the see reflecting the lamplight and carrying the voices of singing and laughter.

Lenalee rested her hands on her knees, staring down at the ground. Her left eye was closed, encrusted with dried blood that had flowed from the cut in her head. "Let's get in there…I'm exhausted…"

"Allen and I will go check in." Lavi suggested wearily. "Kanda, you stay with the girls."

"Is that a-?!" Kanda started angrily.

"Kanda. Shut up." Lenalee snapped, her voice sounding dangerously angry.

Kanda harrumphed and turned away, his arms folded.

"Tsume, how you doing?" Allen asked kindly.

"Dizzy…" Tsume murmured, sinking to her knees. "Go…I'll live…"

Allen looked at her worriedly.

Lenalee came over. "She's still bleeding from the head shot earlier today, but I can't really see…"

Lavi untied his bandana and gave it to Lenalee. "Here. Soak it up and clean her up as much as you can." He turned. "Come on, Allen. The sooner we get into this place, the better we'll all feel." He started into town.

Allen glanced at them and followed behind the older boy.

Lenalee looked at Tsume helplessly. "I can't…I can't see where it is…"

"Gimme…" Tsume rasped and grabbed the bandana. She pressed it over the wound and shuddered as her nerves inflamed with pain. She laid down on the ground, her hand over her stomach and the other pressing the bandana to her head.

Lenalee kneeled next to her, watching anxiously.

Kanda turned to them, watching. Finally, he said, "So you can't die?"

Tsume shook her head listlessly. "Not that I know of. I've been stabbed in the heart, stabbed in the spleen, torn to pieces, mutilated, and had my head cut off in my seventeen years of life. And never once have I died. I just come back to consciousness…like I passed out…" Tsume coughed painfully. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel the effects…"

"Then how come you're still whole?" Lenalee asked incredulously.

"I…I heal in a couple of days…as…as long as everything is…is mostly in the right place…" Tsume sighed. "So sleepy…"

"Stay awake! Stay awake, we'll get you taken care of first!" Lenalee started to panic. "Kanda, help!"

Tsume smiled as she closed her eyes. "Don't worry…Lenalee…Lenalee's a pretty name…I always come back…" She went limp, the bandana falling out of her hand.

Lenalee let out a little gasp of panic.

"Keep the bandana pressed to her head." Kanda said, squatting down next to her. "If what she says is true, then she'll probably come around and feel worse if we didn't at least make an effort."

"The bandana's already soaked…" Lenalee bit her lip.

Kanda tore off the end of his coat and gave it to her.

Lenalee took it and replaced the bandana with it.

Kanda watched Tsume closely. "You know…it's strange…"

"Hm?" Lenalee looked up.

"That Lavi would just give away his bandana like that…"

"Ah…" Lenalee looked down at the dark piece of cloth. "Now that you mention it-"

"We got a room!" Lavi and Allen came running up.

"Tsume!" Allen ran over. "Is she…?"

"For the time being." Kanda stood up.

"Wha…?" Allen gave him a weird look.

"We'll explain later." Lenalee said. "Somebody help me carry her."

Kanda bent down and picked her up without a word.

Lavi grabbed his bandana then grimaced as he pulled it away from his hand. His fingers were stained dark with Tsume's blood. "She's been bleeding this much the whole time…?"

"Let's go." Kanda said sharply. "The sooner we get her taken care of the better."

*~*

-…AND GOD WONTETH NOT THE SINS OF MAN…-

There was water running…a shower? Was someone taking a shower?

-…AND HE WAS MUCH DISPLEASED WITH THE JONAH…-

Someone was humming now…the water stopped…so dark…

-…YEA EVEN SO, HE SAID UNTO THEM, IF THOU SHALT SMIGHT THINE ENEMIES, I WILL GIVEST THOU…-

"…Er, yes…I mean, si….vino, por favor…" (yes…wine, please…)

-…THE HUMANITY THAT THOU WONTETH MOST ABOVE ALL ELSE…-

Breath returned to Tsume's body in one harsh gust. Her back arched as she gasped, her blue eyes snapping open. She blinked several times, trying to still her breathing, and looked around.

Lavi was sitting on the bed next to hers, rubbing scuff marks out of his boots with a cloth. His hair was still slightly damp from the shower and his shirt clung to his skin from the humidity still lingering in the air. His bandana was missing. "Morning." He glanced at her. "The others went to go get some food while I got cleaned up. Pretty much put me on duty in the infirmary." He winked at her, though it looked like he was blinking with his eye patch on. "How ya feeling?"

Tsume swallowed thickly, her mouth dry and tasting like copper. "Sore." She rasped. "Got anything to drink?"

He handed her a bottle that had been on the nightstand.

She propped herself up on her elbows and took it. She swished around the contents suspiciously. "I heard somebody ordering wine…"

He chuckled and put down his boot. "You got me." He stood up, walking towards the bathroom. "It's wine, but it'll at least revive you a little."

"Mm." She watched him walk, her lips on the bottle as her eyes followed his figure …down his spine…to the edge of his pants… She blushed and looked away, taking a drink to hide her embarrassment.

"So how old are you really?" He called out. Tsume heard the sink water running.

"Uh…" Tsume pursed her lips. "I don't know…I think I'm seventeen…?"

"How could you not know?" He asked, his voice sounding incredulous.

"I don't think birthdays matter to a fuerza negra." She smiled a little. She winced and sat up, touching her head gingerly. As she had told Lenalee and Kanda before, the wound was almost healed over.

The water stopped and he came out, wiping his hands on a towel. His white shirt was even more damp and it outlined every muscle and tendon in his abdomen. "What does that mean?"

Tsume, distractedly said, "Demon…" She swallowed thickly again, taking another drink from the bottle. This was getting to be a little too much. Cruel, cruel fate…

"Did we…tell you what we think your name is…?" Lavi grunted as he pulled the shirt over his head. "Stupid broken sink…"

"No." Tsume could care less what her real name was right now.

"We think it's Rochezqua."

"Rochezqua…" Tsume tasted the name on her tongue. "I like it…it kinda has a…flair to it." She blushed. "Sorry. I feel like a coinsurer of names sometimes."

"No it's fine. I understand." He smiled. "I feel the same way." He jerked his thumb at the shower. "It's free. I'll get Lenalee to come in and figure out what to do with your clothes."

"Thank you." She smiled and heaved herself up. A shower could do her a world of good.

Lavi watched her go and sighed to himself. A girl with no name really, no past, barely a future, and a slew of supernatural powers, was supposed to help them defeat the greatest enemy to mankind since biblical times? He shrugged and walked out, ignoring the fact that he had no shirt on. Who cared, right?

Lenalee glanced up as Lavi came out. She was standing next to the door. She looked awkward. "Oh. Hey."

"Hey." He jerked his thumb back at the room. "Tsume needs a change of clothes. Think you have something extra?"

"Yeah." Lenalee nodded and tried to go around him to the door. "I can get that."

Lavi stepped in front of the door. "You're not going to let Allen apologize, are you?"

Lenalee bit her lip, looking at the door handle. "I…I have to stay mad at him…just for a little bit…I'm not ready to forgive him yet…"

Lavi nodded. Then he smiled and shrugged. "Well, he's ready when you are." He walked downstairs. "I think I'm gonna go get something to eat…"

Lenalee smiled and watched him go. Lavi may be strange and at times lewd, but at least he cared. He was a good friend. She pushed the door open to see Tsume having trouble peeling off the remains of her clothes from her.

Tsume looked up helplessly. "Sorry…I'm just too…sorry…"

Lenalee's look softened. "Oh, you don't have to apologize. You still getting over being dead?" She sat next to her. "You don't mind if I help you, right?"

"Not at all…" Tsume sighed. "Yeah I guess I'm not as ready as I thought I'd be…" She touched her head again and winced.

"What are you going to do about that?" Lenalee asked, helping Tsume with her shirt.

"It'll be fine if I wash it. It's probably filled with all kinds of dirt and crap right now, which is probably why it hurts." Tsume stood up. "I think I got the rest thanks." She stumbled a little and sat back on the bed. She blushed.

Lenalee smiled. "I don't mind. Just as long as you're comfortable." She stood up and held out a hand.

Tsume took it. "Thanks." She hesitated then smiled. Lenalee was so kind to everyone. She couldn't imagine anyone hating her.

*~*

"I'm just going to go grab Lavi to ask if we can borrow one of his shirts, okay? Or Kanda…or Allen…But yeah!" Lenalee said, her hand on the door.

Tsume looked up from the zipper on the jacket she was borrowing from Lenalee. "Oh. Yeah. Sure. I'll see if I can get this to fit." Tsume laughed awkwardly. The zipper wouldn't come up past a certain point on her chest and the skirt was already a little short.

"Sure thing." Lenalee stepped out into the hall and closed the door. "Now where are those boys…" She muttered to herself, going left down the hall.

Coming up on the right was one of 'those boys'. Lavi was humming absently, happy after having been chastised by Kanda on the importance of wearing a shirt. "Hey, as long as I'm wearing the jacket, I think I'm fine." Lavi had argued. They had been sitting at a table downstairs at one of the outside places to eat, each on opposite sides of the table.

"That's not the reason why, idiot!" Kanda snarled. "It makes you look like a sleazy dog that doesn't have the decency to dress himself!"

Lavi laughed. "Come on…is that seriously the reason?" He leaned forward in his seat. "Or is it because you're secretly attracted to me, Yu-chan?"

Kanda promptly smashed Lavi's face into the table, stood up, and left.

Now, Lavi rubbed his face and chuckled. It had been worth it just to see the look on Yu-chan's face. He stopped at the room and opened the door effortlessly, expecting it to be unlocked. What he wasn't expecting was to see Tsume still having trouble zipping up Lenalee's extra jacket. As she looked up at him shocked, he took in the scene. She was sitting with her legs to the side of her, the skirt not even beginning to cover a modest amount of leg. Her hands rested on the zipper. He licked his lips and swallowed noisily. "Er…"

"Sorry…" She blushed. "Can I…can I borrow a shirt…?"

He gestured to the bathroom. "One hanging up." He turned around. "I'm just…gonna…yeah…" He laughed awkwardly and stepped out.

Tsume sighed as he shut the door. Well this was turning out to be weird. She undid the jacket and pulled on his shirt, adjusting it a little. She stared at herself in the mirror, her blue eyes standing out in the white background. Once again the image of Lavi polishing his boots popped up in her head and she blushed. "He wouldn't like me…" She muttered, sounding bitter and lonely. "I don't even know my name."

All the sudden, someone opened the door. It was Lavi again. "Oh! Sorry…are you done?" He closed the door a bit, peeking around from behind it.

She smiled. "Yeah."

He smiled back. "Well I actually had a question, Miss Jonah." He winked at her. "Tsume just seems to take so long to say. Like Tssssssuuuuuuummmmeeeee." He pronounced the vowels in a weird voice, making Tsume giggle despite herself. He grinned. "And since we already think we know your name…"

"Rochezqua." Tsume said softly.

"Yeah," He scratched the back of his head. "Well, what I was meaning to say was…can I call you Ro?"

Tsume blinked. "Just Ro?"

He smiled. "Just Ro."

A slow smile started on the girls face, lighting it up like a pretty shining surface. "I…I'd like that…I really would…Lavi."

~ DONE!!! AHAHAHAAA!!! Message me if you want the translations for things.~


	3. The Hotel

~Translations on previous chapters coming soon. Enjoy. I wrote most of this on vacation.~

~Do not own D. Gray-man or You Know My Name by Chris Cornell. Do own the Jonah.~

Chapter 3: The Hotel

The sleeping arrangements were pretty easy after everyone had had a shower. Tsume and Lenalee volunteered to share a bed, already the best of friends.

That left one bed, the couch, and the floor.

Lavi and Kanda and Allen stood in a circle, glaring at each other.

"You know what this means." Kanda said coldly, folding his arms.

"Oh yes! War!" Allen grinned, then faltered. "Hey that's not fair! My arm's out of commission!"

"Sorry short stack!" Lavi chuckled. "You'll have to play rock paper scissors with your right!"

"One…" Kanda put out his fist.

"Two…" Lavi thrust his fist out.

Allen pursed his lips, pouting. "Three." He said sullenly and they all moved their hands. Kanda had scissors, Allen had scissors, and Lavi had rock.

Lavi held up his arms. "SCORE!!! YEAAAHH!!! THE BOOKMAN WINS!!! WHOOOO!!!" He jumped on the bed, laughing.

Kanda just looked at Allen.

Allen, officially in his sulky-teenage-place, just waved an arm.

Kanda laid on the couch, officially claiming it his.

Lenalee smiled as she switched off the light. "Good night everyone! Sleep tight!"

Kanda grunted.

"Goodnight Lenalee!" Allen perked up from the floor enough to say that.

"I'd sleep tighter if you were in bed with me." Lavi called out in an arrogant way.

The light switched back on and Lenalee glared at Lavi. "I _will_ tell my brother." She hissed through gritted teeth. "Would you like to try again?"

Lavi turned away from her. "I can't say good night because I'm miraculously asleep and snoring softly!"

"Better." Lenalee said shortly, snapping the light off.

Tsume turned on her side away from Lenalee as the boot girl sat on the bed. She smiled in the dark, amused and happy. Her eyelids felt heavy and her mind fogged up it seemed. She was so tired…

*~*

-…BUT THE JONAH WOULD NOT HEED GOD'S COMMANDMENTS…-

_Ba-bump._

_Blood everywhere. Blood on the carpet, blood on the beds. They're dead._

_Ba-bump._

-…YEAH THEY CONTINUED IN THEIR WICKED WAYS AND IGNORED THEIR MAKER…-

_Blood on the ceiling. Blood on the stair. And there's the bodies lying right there._

_GUESS WHO DID IT…?_

**BA-BUMP.**

Tsume jerked up, a sob rising up out of her throat. Shaking, she gathered the sheets around her and pulled her knees up to her chest. Then the painful sobs came. The kind that shook your entire body with the force it took to let it escape.

"Ro, you alright?" Lavi whispered.

"What is it?" Kanda's voice was soft coming out of the darkness.

"Just a nightmare. Go back to sleep." Lavi answered. Suddenly, he was kneeling next to the bed. "Hey…Ro, come on…"

Tsume took a shuddering breath and said softly. "I'm okay." She stared forward, her eyes wide and haunted.

"You have a bad dream?"

"Bodies…Bodies everywhere…" Tsume shuddered. "I hate killing…Does that sound bad…? I just…I killed to stay alive…I just can't stand it…" She shivered.

"So you dreamed you killed people?" He shifted slightly, sitting on his butt with his head against the drawer. He looked up at her.

She nodded and hiccupped a yes when she realized he couldn't see her. She started to cry again. "Lavi I didn't mean to, they were just dead and I killed them and I-!"

"Shhh…" Lavi lifted a finger to his lips, propping a knee up and resting his elbow on it. "Lie down."

She did as she was told, drawing the blanket up to her chin and facing him.

Lavi smiled at her lazily. "I'm gonna stay here 'til you fall asleep, okay?"

She nodded. "S-sorry…I woke you up…"

He tilted his head back, letting his arm down from his face as he exhaled. "I was already awake. Don't worry about it."

Tsume's crying slowly started to subside, the soft hiccups becoming less frequent.

Lavi suddenly chuckled softly, his head rolling against the drawer a little.

"What?" Tsume asked, her speech a little slurred. She could barely open her eyes.

"I can't believe Lenalee and Allen slept through that. Usually they're up and ready to be of service whenever something bad happens to someone."

"Sorry…"

"Go to sleep, Ro."

"'Kay…" She snuggled closer, a lock of her hair spilling over the bed.

Lavi looked at it and glanced at her. Making sure she was asleep, he fingered the lock of her hair and brought it up to his face. Closing his eyes, he inhaled and a slow smile crept onto his face.

*~*

Tsume woke up to Lenalee shaking her. "Come on." Lenalee smiled at her. "I'll wake Lavi and Allen up if you wake up Kanda." She skipped away.

Tsume sat up and stretched, yawning. She rubbed her eyes sleepily. "Who…?"

"Kanda." Lenalee pointed at the lump on the couch.

Tsume rubbed her bare feet on the carpet and got up. She almost tripped over Allen who was starting to stretch, but he steadied her feet. "Sorry." He said sleepily. She smiled back and stepped over him. "Kanda…" She said timidly, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"I'm awake." He said, his back still towards her.

Tsume drew her hand back, deciding not to push it. "O-okay…"

Allen sat up and yawned. "Time to get up already?"

Lenalee grunted. "Will someone help me wake Lavi?!" She was trying to drag him out of the bed by his arm and was failing miserably.

Tsume hesitated then walked over to the bed. "Lavi? Lavi wake up."

He kept snoring, on his stomach with his head turned to the side.

"Maybe we should try a more…Komui approach…." Allen got up, an evil grin on his face. He leaned over Lavi and whispered something in his ear.

Lavi pushed himself up, narrowly avoiding hitting the top of his head on Allen's chin. "Women?! Downstairs?!"

Allen, Tsume, and Lenalee, all fell on the floor in helpless laughter.

Lavi cupped his face in one hand, glaring at Allen. "Thanks, Allen. Thanks a lot."

"It got you up, didn't it?" Allen chuckled.

Lavi groaned and pushed himself up off the bed like he was doing a push up. "Meh…"

"Someone that actually speaks the language should go get us a boat." Kanda said, pulling on his jacket.

"I can do that." Tsume volunteered. "But the sailors are all pretty masculine and…well…they wouldn't give us passage if I came up and asked…but I can translate if one of you guys wants to go."

"Even if you have the black order symbol on your jacket?" Allen asked.

Tsume nodded. "It's just the way it is on this side of the world. I'd never heard of the black order till you guys showed up. So which guy wants to come with me?"

"Well we can count Yu-chan out. Nobody knows if he really is a guy." Lavi smirked.

Allen, who was folding up an extra coat, jumped as he heard a sound of extreme violence. He turned to see Tsume with her hands over her mouth as Kanda started to mercilessly pound Lavi into the floor.

Lenalee sighed, putting things away. "Tsume, take Lavi. You'd be doing us all a favor."

Tsume nodded. She hesitated, glancing down at her bare feet. "Well…"

Lenalee blinked then followed her gaze. "Oh! I forgot." She looked sheepish. "I asked them to burn all your old things. They were…well...they had a lot of holes in them…"

Tsume looked up and smiled, hiding how dismayed she was. "Oh that's fine."

Lenalee shook her head. "Allen has an extra pair. Right Allen?"

Allen produced a pair. "Here." He smiled at her as she thanked him. "Anything for the girl that volunteers to take him off our hands." He jerked his thumb at Lavi, who was fighting back now.

Tsume sat down on the bed and started putting them on. "He's not that bad."

Lenalee, Allen, and Kanda, all stopped immediately what they were doing to raise an eyebrow at her.

Lavi took this as his chance to escape. He pulled on his shirt, grabbed his bandana, and was out the door with a cheerful, "Bye everybody!"

Tsume glanced up then hurriedly yanked on the other boot and, hopping as she tried to get it on right, followed him out.

As she shut the door, she pitched forward towards the opposite wall.

Lavi caught her arm. "Woah there. You okay, Ro?"

Tsume hung onto his arm as she pushed her hair out of her face and glanced up at him. "Yeah."

He stared at her for a second before looking away, a slight reddish color on his cheeks. "We should go."

She straightened up. "Thanks. It's this way-" She pointed.

He stopped her again. "The buckles on your boots are undone." He pointed at her feet.

"Oh!" Tsume started to bend over to fix them.

Lavi suddenly gripped her arm. "Don't…Don't do that…"

Tsume blinked up at him. "Huh?"

His face was bright red and he was looking away from her.

And then it occurred to Tsume that maybe Lenalee's skirt was a little too short to do that. She blushed crimsom. "S-sorry…"

"Here. Let me get them for you." He volunteered, having recovered a little. He knelt down in front of her. He started on one buckle but soon found himself staring at the flesh on her leg above her thigh. His fingers fumbled worthlessly with the buckle as he saw a telltale tremor spread up through her leg. His soft breathing graced her skin, raising goose bumps. It was so tempting just to kiss that spot right above her knee…

"Well that's not awkward at all…" Kanda's scathingly sarcastic voice carried over to them.

Lavi looked up guiltily as Tsume blushed and looked away. "I was helping her with her boots…"

Somehow, something on Kanda's expression told Lavi he really didn't believe him.

Lavi cleared his throat and buckled the other one. He stood up. "Right. A boat."

Tsume nodded, still red, and glanced at Kanda before going down the hall.

Lavi followed behind, determined not to look back at the older man. Kanda knew as well as he did that he wasn't suppose to be…well…this involved with anyone, let alone her. _Self discipline, stupid. _He slammed the heel of his palm into his forehead.

"Lavi…" Tsume hesitated, then looked to the ground, halting her steps. "I…I wanted to ask you something…personal."

Already having an explanation for his previous actions, he smiled. "Yes Ro?"

"Well…I hate having to borrow…borrow everyone's things…since Lenalee threw out my stuff…" She started haltingly and Lavi almost melted in relief on the inside. "So…so is it alright if…if while we're out, we just get me something? I'm sorry, I don't have any money, but I will pay you back when I can!" She looked at the ground, nudging the flooring with the toe of her boot.

Lavi scratched the back of his head. "How would you-? I mean, why would you pay me back?" He smiled. "It's not my money, it's the Black Order's." He waved an arm. "Come on. We'll pick you up something afterwards." He started walking again down the stairs.

Tsume followed after him, silently.

Lavi finally turned when they were outside the building and started to jokingly say, "You can talk you kno-"

Tsume had her hands over her face and was sobbing again.

Lavi looked alarmed and uncertain. "What's wrong?"

Tsume dragged her sleeve across her eyes. "E-everyone's being s-so nice t-to m-me and I d-don't deserve i-it…!" I d-don't e-even know h-how to h-help!"

He smiled, relaxing a little. He ruffled her hair. "Do you think that matters? Silly Ro, we're nice to you because we like you! Not because you might be able to help us."

Tsume rubbed her eyes and sniffed, feeling like a little girl. "R-really…?"

"Would I lie to you?" He pointed at himself. "Come on. Once we get everything together we'll get you some clothes and call it good. I bet you're still worn out from dying yesterday." He chuckled.

Tsume nodded and attempted a little smile.

"Well come on!" Lavi turned and started to walk away. After a couple of steps, he turned to see Tsume still standing there. He sighed and walked back. He offered his arm, giving her a smile. "This help?"

She blinked up at him behind a curtain of her hair. She took his arm, almost curling up next to him.

He looked a little concerned as they started walking. _She's definitely tired from yesterday. We should've let her sleep. But she seems so depressed at the same time because she doesn't know how to help us…_ "Want something to eat?" He asked, trying to peek at her past her curtain of hair.

She looked at him then looked away. "Sure, I guess."

He looked around. "Hmmm…I wouldn't know any of the good stuff…" He said awkwardly. Then he grinned at her sheepishly. "I'm a bit lost."

She smiled a little and he almost crowed on the inside at getting a response out of her. "Well pomegranates are my favorite…they're right over there." She pointed. "And they've got coffee over there." She pointed at a make shift café next to the stand with the pomegranates.

"I'm up for both." He smiled, leading her towards the pomegranate stand first. "Let's get some of these first and we'll eat them while we drink some coffee."

Tsume perked up a little. "Okay."

It was an adventure trying to look like he knew what he was doing and still manage to buy something at the same time. Eventually, Tsume took over. She had her tongue in her cheek as she tried not to laugh at him. Pride slightly wounded, they sat down at a table and ordered two cups of coffee.

"Did you know that they serve the best coffee you've ever tasted around here?" Tsume said, taking her pomegranate from him.

"No I didn't. And why do they serve the best coffee you've ever tasted around here?" He smiled at her.

Tsume looked like she was hiding behind her fruit, blushing. She kept her eyes on it as she said, "This is where coffee grows. The coffee you get in…London? Is it London?"

Lavi nodded slowly. "Something like that. Europe, you could say."

"Well, in Europe, is grown here and shipped over there. So I guess you could say it's weaker because it's not fresh."

He watched her jerk her wrists in a twist and the pomegranate split open. "Mmm…so it's good coffee because it's grown here?"

"Yeah they got plantations around here somewhere." Tsume gestured, her hand a reddish purple from the juice. She pointed towards the fruit. "You ever have these?"

"Can't say I have." He shook his head. "The Black Order doesn't usually send people down here."

"So that explains why I've never heard of it." She smiled. "Well it's kinda weird because you don't eat the actual fruit, you eat the seeds." She picked on up and ate it. "See?"

Their coffee came and he smiled at the waiter. "Gracias." He turned to Tsume. "I do see. You've got juice all over."

She laughed. "Yeah that's the only downside to this." She turned to the waiter. "Servilleta, por favor." (Napkin, please.)

The waiter nodded and walked off.

Tsume stuck her fingers in her mouth, sucking the juice off.

Lavi, coffee momentarily forgotten, watched. She had a cute way of distracting him with simple things.

She took her fingers out of her mouth, blushing. "What?"

He blinked. "Nothing." He picked up his chipped mug and raised an eyebrow. "Smells good. The container needs a little help."

"Be nice. That's all they have." Tsume scolded, picking her own mug up.

Lavi sipped it slowly. "Wow. You win. That's amazing!"

Tsume smiled, her knees together and her toes pointed inward as she glanced at him from the top of her cup. Suddenly her eyes widened and she put the mug down. "There's a man with the same insignia as the black order getting up over there! He looks like a sailor."

Lavi turned his head to look at a red bearded man paying for his food and standing up to leave. "Er…señor!" He called out, standing up and tripping over his chair a little. He caught himself on the table.

"Señor, por favor espere!" (Sir please wait!) Tsume called out, standing up.

The red bearded man turned, and his eyes narrowed. He folded his burly arms over his chest and glared down at them.

Lavi swallowed. Sure he himself was tall, but he felt like nothing compared to this giant of a man.

"So that's where ya been!" He shouted in their faces. "We've been lookin' at every place up n' down these parts fer ya and ya show up sippin' coffee like yer havin' a holiday!" He shook his head. "Master Komui paid me te stay here til noon today which, if I'm not mistaken, is in aboot ten minutes! You have five te get down to the docks fer a ride to HQ before we shove off!"

Lavi, slightly bewildered at being yelled at, said stupidly. "Er…yessir!"

"Hmph!" The man turned angrily away from them. "The ship ya be searchin' for is the Maiden of Argentina!"

Tsume grabbed Lavi. "Come on! We got to get moving!"

*~*

Kanda was trying his best. He really was. But after so many longing looks from Allen to Lenalee and her ignoring each and every one, he was fed up. Like ready to chop somebody's fingers off fed up. "We should get some food." He hinted to Lenalee. "For the trip."

Lenalee, looking relieved, nodded. "I'll go get it."

"I'll come with." Allen volunteered.

"You stay here." Kanda and Lenalee said together, looking equally as scary.

Allen backed off. "…Kay…" He swallowed thickly. He wasn't going to survive this trip, he knew it.

Kanda cleared his throat. "I'm going to go find Tsume and the idiot-"

Just then, Tsume and "the idiot" came barreling in.

"GottagonowfoundtheshipweneedgetOUT!!" Lavi jerked his thumb behind him.

"Wha…??" Allen gave him a blank look.

"Tell you on the way! Get out!" Tsume looked up at the clock and winced. "Three minutes!"

Everyone suddenly sprung to action and grabbed everything they needed and filed out the door. Lenalee was the last and she left some cash and the key on the first bed before shutting the door. They ran down the stairs as Tsume explained the situation.

"And we've got three minutes to get to the docks?" Lenalee asked incredulously.

"Two, actually!" Tsume agreed.

"We're not gonna make it!" Allen yelled.

Tsume bit her lip. "Everyone grab onto me!"

Everyone exchanged looks but cautiously did as she said while running.

"Hold on!" Suddenly the world was a blur. Nothing made sense and one had the feeling of flying through space and time. It was incredible and almost distressing. In an instant they were there at the docks in front of a black colored ship with the name, 'Maiden of Argentina'. Everyone fell to the ground, their legs wobbly and unstable. Allen almost hurled.

"Wh…what just happened…?" Lenalee asked, looking up at Tsume.

Tsume looked down at her, her blue eyes a little pained. "I ran."

The captain, standing on the deck, witnessed the whirlwind the exorcists called Tsume, and gaped at her now.

Tsume grabbed a bag and headed up the gang plank, keeping her eyes on the ground as she stood next to the burly man.

He, in turn, didn't look at her as he spoke, "Master Komui ain't said nothin' about somethin' like you comin' on my ship."

"I'll behave myself." Tsume said softly.

The man grunted. "You're lucky he's payin' me your weight in gold." He gestured a large arm to her recovering companions. "Alright ya whimps! Up on board else ya get left!" He pulled a pipe out of his jacket and stuffed it with tobacco while he waited. "Listen here, missy. You just stay nice n' quiet in yer cabin and don't cause no trouble aboard this ship else I ferget the money and have a mind te throw you and yer friends overboard."

"I understand sir." Tsume stepped aside and let her companions on board.

"Follow me! I'm Captain Jenkins and don't you ferget it!" He jerked a thumb at himself. "I run things aboard this here ship and you come te me if you have a mind to complain!" He put the pipe between his teeth and turned. "I'll be showin' ya yer livin' quarters for the next bit now." He started across the deck.

Tsume followed behind him followed by Lavi, then Lenalee, then Allen, then Kanda.

Lenalee turned her head a bit and murmured, "I've never seen anything go that fast! Not even me and my boots could keep up with her!"

"I haven't seen anything that strong." Allen murmured back. "She was basically carrying all of us and our things while she was running."

"She's got all the capabilities of being on of the greatest threats to mankind…" Kanda said softly. "…But not even a sliver of the mentality to do it."

Lavi didn't say a word, watching Tsume follow Captain Jenkins down below in front of them. Kanda was right. How could this girl possibly be that unreal? It was like the monster in horror story that never wanted to do anything but mind it's own business but ended up getting pulled into the story anyway.

Like Frankenstein. Tsume was like Frankenstein. But would the ending be the same…?

Lavi shook his head. "She's what we came here for. And that's what we got." He looked back at them over his shoulder. "In this war, we can't afford to be picky."

~Hope you liked it. I actually had to cut chapter three in half because in the notebook I'm writing this in, it's twenty one pages…^_^; anyway, message and review and all that jazz please!~


	4. Tell Me What Hurts

~Renamed it. Sorry. The other title just didn't match. Warning, there's extreme violence in this chapter. Ummmm…don't own D. Gray Man. I own the Jonah.~

Chapter 4: Tell Me What Hurts

-…THEY LED THOUSANDS OF THE SONS OF ADAM DOWN THE PATH OF EVIL…-

_Ba-bump_

_Same dream once again. Murder all of them plus ten._

_Ba-bump_

-…SLAUGHTERING, LUSTING, TAXING…-

_See the mask on top of him? Look at it. You know it's him._

_Ba-bump_

-…AND GOD WAS MUCH ANGERED AGAINST THEM…-

_Feel his blood on your fingertips. Now lean down and kiss…his…lips…_

**BA-BUMP!**

Tsume sucked in air like she was trying to breathe in all the oxygen in the room. She could feel a hoarse cry starting in her chest like a wave but she stilled it. No need to alarm anyone again. Shaking, her body filmed in a layer of cold sweat, she hugged herself again. "I…I need some air.." She whispered. Rasping slightly as she grabbed Allen's jacket from beside the bed, she looked around the room.

It was a simple four walled one in the row of five along the first level of the ship below the deck. It was practical, no personal things furnishing it besides a bed, a chest, and a mirror that seemed to have seen better days.

Tsume pulled the jacket on and then tugged on the boots. She opened the door slowly and peered out. Seeing no one, she stepped into the large hall. She was glad she hadn't woken any of her friends up. She hated to be a bother. She was starting up the stairs to the deck when she heard Lenalee gasp and say above her, "Allen, what are you doing?"

Tsume ducked out of the way and to the side, staying to listen in.

"N-nothing…!" Allen's voice sounded guilty and cheerful in a fake way. "I'm fine, Lenalee! It's nothing!"

"Allen, why are you holding your eye? Let me see."

A gasp.

"I-it's been like this ever since…with Road…" Allen sounded resigned.

Tsume's teeth were suddenly on edge. She hated that name for some reason. _Road Kamelot…_

"Go back to bed, Lenalee. I'm fine."

"A-Allen…Well…alright…" Suddenly there were steps on the stairs. Lenalee passed where Tsume was hiding, looking disturbed but unaware of the super human's presence. She opened the door to her room and stepped in, the door shutting.

Tsume held her breath. One more to go.

Sure enough, five minutes later, Allen came down as well, hand over his eye. He opened the door across from Lenalee's and after one longing look at her closed door, he went in.

As soon as the door shut, Tsume exhaled and walked up the steps to the deck. Fresh air blew over her, refreshing but with a biting chill. She pulled her jacket more over her and walked to the edge of the deck, looking out at the endless ocean.

Some help she was. Didn't know who she really was or what she could do besides what somebody had written in the leather book she had had for forever. Her little diary. She took it out of her large pocket in the jacket and brushed her fingers over it in wonder.

-…you are to write in this notebook every single day of what has happened to you…-

A book that couldn't get wet, couldn't burn, couldn't be stained, and couldn't be opened unless she herself did it. It seemed too good to be true, but then again, so had she she supposed. Maybe her mother had given this to her and written the instructions on the inside. Tsume had never known her mother, having been left with an old woman in a village on the coast. She had been taught English by different sailors and even explorers that had drifted into town. It was then that she found out, with some delight, she could imitate any accent perfectly. So when she spoke English, it was indeed English. And when she spoke Spanish, it was flawless Español.

Tsume lifted her head up, placing the book back in her pocket. She stared out into the distance. She hadn't been very old when she had figured out her other gifts. The book said she had them, but who believed a book? Then she tried them all. Strength…speed…and most importantly, the ability to manipulate. Her eyes helped with that for some reason. The victim would do exactly what she asked, and would keep trying to carry out that task until they died. She sighed. She'd been careful around her new friends but it was more then tempting to use on Eye Patch with his smiling attitude and hot body…

"Oi! What did I tell you about wanderin' around, missy?!" Captain Jenkins came onto the deck, looking angrier then a starving dog denied dinner once again.

Tsume blinked and put her back to the railing, hands up. "I just came out for some fresh air! I'm not doing anythi-"

"Back down below, wretch!" He yelled. "And God help yer soul if I catch you up here again!"

"Captain Jenkins!"

They both turned to see Lavi come up the steps, looking at ease and almost bored. "She's with me. I'm keeping an eye on her. I'll make sure she doesn't do anything." He put a hand on the larger man's back. "I promise."

Captain Jenkins growled and stomped back up to his post next to the boatswain.

"Thanks." Tsume sighed in relief.

"Midnight walk huh?" He leaned on the railing next to her. "Or is it suspicious activities?"

She hesitated. "Just…getting some fresh air. What're you doing up?"

"Woke up after I heard your door open." He smiled. "Don't apologize. I'm a light sleeper. It was bound to happen."

Tsume chewed on her lip anyway. "Okay…"

A silence fell between them that made Tsume squirm.

"I…I had a nightmare." She said, hating how it sounded like a confession.

"Same one?" He didn't turn."

"Yes." Tsume exhaled. "But more bodies."

"Have you…" He paused. "Have you ever…killed someone before?"

"I haven't." Tsume said softly.

Lavi relaxed. "Oh."

"I made them kill themselves."

He jerked up and looked at her. "What?!"

Tsume chewed on her lip more, not looking him in the eye. She never did. "When...when people look into my eyes…they do exactly what I want them to do until the task is carried out. So say I wanted you to jump off the ship but you were chained to the deck. You'd do everything humanly possible to jump off the ship. You…you wouldn't have a choice…"

Lavi studied for a minute, waying his options. Finally he said, "Show me."

"I…I don't think…" Tsume shook her head, unsure.

"It's alright. I give you permission." He smiled. "Go ahead."

Tsume exhaled and tilted her head up, her bright cerulean eyes meeting his. She didn't say a word at all.

Then all the sudden, she seemed to look softer to him. Like a mirage floating around in his vision. Her eyes were a brighter blue, her hair was a more luxorious brown, and her lips were just the right pink. He was infatuated with the way she turned her head to the side when she peered up at him. He leaned down, his breathing shallow, ready to kiss her…

Tsume turned her head away, feeling horrid on the inside. "No Lavi." She whispered.

He didn't—wouldn't –listen. He gripped her arms, pulling her closer. "Tsume…" He murmured, and kissed her.

Tsume was politely unresponsive.

Suddenly, he jerked back like there had been an electric shock through his system. He put a hand on the railing, standing feet away from her. His lips thinned into a straight line and he looked away from her.

"You would've tried for that kiss til you died." Tsume murmured, leaning on the railing and staring out into the ocean. "That's what I do. That's how I killed." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry."

Lavi drew in a shaky breath. He would never tell her how nice it had been to finally taste her mouth or feel her in his arms, even if he had been manipulated into it. "It's okay. I asked for it." He nervously tugged on his hair.

They were silent for a bit, staring into the sea; her crying softly and he not trusting himself to say anything remotely close to comfort.

"Maybe you can use those orbs of yours for good." Lavi ventured half-heartedly. "Ever use them on akuma?"

Tsume blinked. "A-akuma?"

"Weapons of The Millennium Earl…?" Lavi looked at her like she was from a different planet and from what the two of them knew about her, she very well may have been.

"N-no…" Tsume looked confused. "I don't know what those are…"

Lavi sighed. "They must stay away from you. I know I would if I were them. Your whole…" He held his arms up, wiggling his fingers. "…aura reads 'I hate demons' or something like that."

That coaxed a half smile out of her. "You're making that up."

He smiled. "Would I lie to you?" He looked thoughtful. "You know…I wonder what you'd actually be like in action…like fighting action." He added hurriedly.

Tsume pursed her lips. "That's not a very good idea…"

"Why not?" Lavi looked at her. "It's just a good old spar between you and one of us…"

"It's dangerous, Lavi." Tsume said sternly. "I won't do it."

"Aw come on…" He ducked his head a little and peered up at her. "Please…?"

A slight blush crept up on her cheeks as she looked away. "You'll get hurt."

"We've been through worse."

"You don't come back after a fatal blow like I do."

"Sparring isn't fatal."

"It is when one's opponent isn't human."

"Have you ever sparred with an exorcist?"

She hesitated. "No…but-"

"We fight the supernatural all the time. We'll be alright." He waved his hand, looking at ease.

Tsume kneaded her forehead, sighing. He was incorrigible. "We'll see."

There was a large crack and the ship mast started to sway as if it had a life of its own. It suddenly started slamming down on them with a vengeance.

"Look out!" Tsume shoved Lavi out of the way with force, sending him up onto the deck with the steering wheel and a bewildered Captain Jenkins.

"MISS!!" A sailor nearby screamed as the mast came down on Tsume's back. The mast started sliding into the water, but was held back by the ropes. Tsume's limp body disappeared into the water as the sails caught the water and started filling up. The ship groaned as it started to tip, the now heavy sails dragging it in. Even if it didn't manage to capsize the boat, it would tear a good chunk of from the stress it was wearing on the ship alone.

"CUT THE ROPES!!! CUT THE BLOODY ROPES!!! LET 'ER GO!!" Captain Jenkins bellowed, jerking Lavi up.

Lavi dizzily ran over to the railing, almost falling in. "Tsume!!" He gasped and scrambled back as a level two akuma rose out of the dark water with a giggle that sounded like a baby drowning. It looked like a snake with spikes down it's spine and claws that had been detached off other animals and connected to it through some sick procedure. It's face, however was the sickest. It was like a demented doll head with sadistic signs all over it and no hair. "Your friend issss dead!" It's voice was sibilant and it grinned at Lavi, reaching for him. "Jussst like you're about to be!"

Lavi pulled out his hammer and smashed it towards the thing.

It twisted out of the way with a laugh. "An exxxoorcccissstt! How fun!" It disappeared, ducking into the water again.

"Lavi!!"

Lavi looked down to see Allen, Lenalee, and Kanda standing on the deck coming towards him. He also caught a glimpse of the akuma among the remaining sails. It was diving. "Look out!" He screamed.

There was a scream and an explosion of blood that showered everywhere. More screams and mass confusion and mayhem erupted on the ship.

"YOU IDIOTS YER GONNA GET US ALL KILLED!!! CUT THE MAST LOOSE!!!" Captain Jenkins screamed. He turned to Lavi. "It's killing my men!!"

"I got it!" Allen launched himself at the thing, arm ready to go.

"Allen no!! Your arm!!" Lenalee yelled but it was too late.

The akuma dropped a half dead sailor into the sea and snarled at Allen. It bided it's time then swung it's tail around, catching Allen in the middle and slamming him down into the sea as well.

"ALLEN!!!" Lenalee screamed.

Kanda unleashed his sword and started after the thing as Lavi joined Lenalee in searching from the boat for Allen.

"I can't find him! I can't find him!" Lenalee panicked.

"Keep looking!" Lavi yelled, looking over his shoulder anxiously. "Tsume disappeared too!"

The tail struck out again and Kanda smashed into the ship as the mast finally slid off. The ship righted itself violently, throwing some sailors into the water. Lavi held tightly onto Lenalee and the railing to stop both of them from following in afterwards.

Kanda crawled out of the wreckage, holding a separated shoulder. "Where's the akuma?!" _More importantly, _He realized, _where's my sword?!_

There was an angry yowl and they looked up to see the akuma directly above them. "You sssspoiled my fun!" It hissed, twisting in the air. "I'll have to tear your ssshhip to piecccesss now mysssself!" It dove in a straight line for the middle of the ship with an incredible speed.

It was too fast. Everything seemed to slow down though so they could see their demise. Lavi, Lenalee, the sailors, and Kanda, all watched in horror as it came closer to it's destination.

Then suddenly there was something in the way. Something remotely human that looked broken and torn like a doll. It was Tsume. From the way she stood, they could tell her back had been broken and a rib stuck out of her like someone had stabbed her with it. In her right hand was her left arm, torn at the elbow and leaving a gushing stump behind. She stood where she was and looked up at it, her blue eyes brilliant compared to her wet and bloody and broken body. "Stop." She said, her voice toneless. An unseen wave rippled from her throughout everything and everyone, leaving them with an impression to stay still. As soon as it reached the akuma, it bucked up, bending in half and starting to convulse in midair. It screamed in pain, a sound so wretched everyone shuddered.

"Come." Tsume held up her right arm and her detached left one gestured to it to come closer with a finger.

It was eye to eye with her suddenly, pleading in a sibilant, but sobbing voice. "No!! Pleasssse don't do thissss!! No it hurtssss!! Ssstop!!"

The exorcists all felt cold sweat break over them. None of them had ever heard an akuma plead for it's life like that.

Tsume dropped her left arm suddenly and buried her right fist straight into its forhead.

The akuma's doll face expanded like it was some kind of sick twisted balloon, the entire body filling out as well, and then blood started pouring out any cavity it could find. It let out a final scream, choking on it's own black blood as it poured out of it's mouth and noise and then finally exploding out it's eye sockets. An eyeball landed next to Captain Jenkins and he cursed and kicked it away. The rest of it fell to the deck and then slipped off the ship into the dark water.

Tsume ignored her arm and shambled over to them. "Where's Allen?" Her voice sounded watery, like there was some sort of liquid in her throat.

Lenalee took one look at the stump that had been her arm and retched over the side. It had been literally torn off at the elbow, tendons and muscle tissue and various other things hanging down from the stump. Every five seconds, the appendage would twitch and a new spurt of blood would decorate the deck.

"Over the side…Don't know where…" Lavi choked out, his eyes wide on the rib sticking out from under Tsume's chest. It was like the white sword of an avenging demon, bleeding eternally but never quite killing it's victim. Imagine the pain…

Tsume looked over the side and sighed, again the sound all watery. Blood was trickling out the corner of her mouth. She turned away from them and forcibly shoved the rib back in, choking back a cry of pain. She straightened up as much as she could afterwards and jumped over the side in a dive.

Kanda started to look for his sword, a little desperate now. He relaxed when he saw it embedded in the bow of the boat, glinting in the moonlight.

_Crunch._

He looked down, puzzled, and saw Tsume's arm. He stepped off it and kicked it slightly with his boot, wondering if she felt that-

Suddenly it latched onto his boot, instantly cutting off circulation even through the tough leather.

He yelled and scrambled back. He grabbed a sharp shaft of wood that lay on the deck from the mast and stabbed at the offending appendage.

The wood clumsily cut through four fingers and the hand fell limp on the deck.

Shaking, he pulled himself up and went around it for his sword.

Just as he returned, an unconscious Allen landed on the deck, sopping wet.

Tsume dragged herself up with one arm onto the deck. She lay there, gasping.

Lenalee, keeping her eyes away from Tsume's arm, shakily went over to her. "You…you okay…?"

Tsume pointed with her stump at Allen. "He…He needs…CPR…he's…drowning…"

Lenalee nodded, pale, and then ran to the railing again.

Lavi hesitated then looked at Kanda.

"No." Kanda said coldly and looked away.

Lavi sighed. "Suck it up, Bookman." He muttered. "For the good of the team…" He kneeled and leaned over Allen…

"Kanda…I need…my arm…" Tsume said hoarsely.

Kanda felt a little guilty. But not too much. He was Kanda after all. She had probably felt him sawing off her fingers. He ran over and edged over to it cautiously, his sword slightly out of its hilt. Satisfied that it wouldn't move, he picked it up and all of her fingers. He walked over and dumped them next to Tsume's head, a bit unceremoniously.

Lenalee leaned over the side again.

"It grabbed me." Kanda said in explanation. "So I neutralized the threat."

"Sorry I thought you were the akuma." Tsume shuddered suddenly and her whole body convulsed as blood came pouring from her mouth.

Kanda cussed and jumped back as blood splashed over his boots.

Allen suddenly opened his eyes and started to throw up water.

Lavi turned him on his side, patting his back.

Captain Jenkins came over. "We're limping to a little island where the natives are willing to trade anything for wood. Is everyone alright?" He looked a little sad, a curious expression for such a hardened face.

"You have a needle and thread?" Tsume spluttered.

Jenkins jumped back, wide eyed, and crossed himself. "Mary…! I thought she was dead!"

"I am." Tsume rested her head on the deck, covered in her own blood everywhere. Her eyes started to close. "I am…" Her eyes shut and she was still.

"Captain, it would be much appreciated if you could get us that needle and thread and let us recuperate." Kanda said authoritatively.

Jenkins, disturbed beyond reckoning, muttered the Lord's Prayer as he walked away.

"Where's…Where's Tsume…?" Allen asked weakly.

Lavi pointed at the mass in the middle of a pool of blood and said almost reverently, "That is Tsume."

Allen turned his head away and dry heaved.

"Woah buddy." Lavi patted his back. "Relax. You almost drowned today." He rubbed his lips across his sleeve.

Allen let his head fall to the deck weakly. His eyes also started to close as he murmured, "Lavi, why are you scrubbing at your lips?"

The older boy stopped, seeming uneasy. "I'll tell you when you're older." He said uncomfortably. "Go to sleep."

Allen's eyelids closed and Lavi began again to vigorously scrub at his lips.

~End. Wahoo!!!~


	5. Beauty and The Beast

~Here it goes. Don't own D. Gray-man. Posting a playlist soon. Check my profile to see for sure. :)~

Chapter 5: Beauty and The Beast

The boat swayed gently as Lavi walked down towards everyone's rooms, his boots sounding on the wood. It was a sound he and the others were so sick of by now. He knocked on Allen's door. "Captain says we'll make landfall in twenty minutes or so, Allen!" Lavi called.

Allen opened the door, his eyes wide. "Great!" He looked across over Lavi's shoulder and his face turned uneasy. "…How is she…?"

"I was just going to check." Lavi sighed.

Allen turned his head to make sure no one was around.

Kanda's room was opened and empty, as was Lenalee's.

The boy turned to his elder and said softly, "Do you know why Komui set it up this way?"

Lavi shrugged. "It makes sense, don't it though? We can't exactly just have her walk in without knowing what she is. And if this new research breakthrough they have is right…" He glanced at the only closed door out of the six in the cabin. "Then we have quite the mystical creature on our hands."

"An incredibly upset one." Allen argued. "She hasn't spoken to any of us in two days!"

"Shh!" Lavi put his finger up to his lips. "I know. I'm gonna go find out what she's upset about." He turned and went to knock on the door.

Allen's voice made him pause. "Lavi?"

Lavi turned his head to the side.

"If the Noah…if the Noah are human like they say…then what is she?"

"I don't think the Noah are completely human, Allen." Lavi said quietly and knocked on the door.

Allen clenched his hands and released them, his eyes looking more then a little haunted. He turned and walked back into his room.

Tsume opened the door, her brown hair twisting softly around the curves of her face. "Hi Lavi." She said curtly, making no move to let him in.

"Hi Tsume." He smiled, then waited.

They stared at each other.

"You gonna let me in?" He finally asked, gesturing to her door. His tone was gentle, but authoritative in a way.

Tsume reluctantly parted the door more and stepped aside.

Lavi walked in and sat on her bed. "We're making landfall in fifteen to twenty minutes."

Tsume shut the door and turned to him. "Mm."

"Like the dress." Lavi pointed at the light blue gauzy gown with a heart neckline and sleeves to her elbows. She wore a black order coat over it and black slip on shoes. In fact, it was really quite flattering.

"Captain gave it to me." Tsume said distractedly. "You can't seriously be thinking of letting your boss do this."

Lavi shrugged. "He's the boss."

Tsume looked impatient. "Lavi, I'm gonna kill someone!"

"No you're not."

"Oh?! And how do you know that?!" Tsume snapped, starting to agitatedly pace the floor.

Lavi watched her, amazed. She had gotten so angry she had actually grown a spine. It was incredible. "I'm the Bookman's Apprentice, remember? I know a lot of things."

Tsume snorted and paused, looking at the door in a depressed fashion. "Run me through the plans again." She said softly.

"You're gonna walk with us to a certain point." Lavi recited, watching her carefully. "Then we'll blindfold you. After that, you're supposed to walk on by yourself to meet another exorcist. You're gonna battle this exorcist until someone says stop. Then the chief decides if you're in or not."

Tsume collapsed next to him. "I guess that's that…" She sighed, putting a hand over her eyes.

"I know you're not happy about it, but…" He shrugged. "What the chief says, goes. Talk to Lenalee. She'll tell you. She's his sister."

Tsume brightened up a little, propping herself up on her elbows. "Do you think…?"

Lavi shook his head. "I don't think she's that influential over his decisions…"

Tsume groaned, tilting her head back. "Suck!"

Lavi turned his head slightly to the side, his gaze running down her neck. "Sorry."

Tsume tilted her head back up, her hair falling over one eye. She looked like she had been doomed to an eternity in Kanda's company. "No it's okay…It's unchangeable I understand…" She resisted the urge to rest her head on his shoulder. "Thanks."

"For?"

"For…" She hesitated, blushing a little and looking up at him from beneath thick eyelashes. "For being my friend."

He smiled a little. "Yeah…" He leaned towards her a little, so close…

She moved away this time, her big blue eyes looking down at the floor. How frustrating it was for him to see the way her soft brown hair framed her face and the way it shone, even in the gray light of the morning marine layer. She turned her head to the side. "…What's it like…?" She traced circles on the mattress. "Living with everyone."

He pulled back a little, looking thoughtful. "It's…nice, I guess you could say. It's better then being alone, that's for sure."

Tsume smiled at her knees. "That's what I was hoping for."

Lavi smiled at peeked at her. "I'm glad."

-

Tsume clutched at her skirt absently as the small group halted in front of a grove of trees. She glanced around at her new found friends. "I guess…I guess this is where I continue onward alone…"

They all avoided her glance.

"We'll…We'll see you at HQ." Allen tried to say cheerfully.

Tsume smiled as best she could. "Thanks, Allen."

Lenalee took a blindfold she'd been carrying and approached Tsume slowly. "You're supposed to walk on from her until someone says stop." She started tying the blindfold. "It's not too tight, is it?"

"It's just fine." Tsume smiled and put a hand over Lenalee's. "Thanks Lenalee."

The girl smiled and squeezed her hand. "Good luck." Then she let go and stepped away.

Tsume faltered for a bit, then stretched her arms out and slowly made her way forward into the trees until she disappeared in the fog.

For a while, no one spoke; all too wrapped up in their own thoughts to voice their concerns.

Finally Allen spoke. "I'm not sure about this."

"Neither am I." Lenalee rubbed her arms in a self comforting gesture. "But he's my brother and he's the chief."

Lavi blinked. "Woah…where's Kanda?"

They all froze and stared at each other, horrorified. They knew where Kanda had gone.

"The excorcist…"

"…Tsume…"

"…They're gonna kill each other!"

They all rushed off in the direction Tsume had gone.

-

Tsume wandered absently, trying hard not to bash into anything in her path. She listened carefully, her sensitive hearing starting to pick up the little things like twigs snapping under her feet and the calls of a murder of crows in the trees somewhere…

There wasn't really a warning. Not a snap of branches or the crunch of leaves underfoot. Just the sound of the molecules in the air being parted as something sliced through them and into Tsume's neck. Her head was lobbed off in a clean precise cut and her body slumped to the ground, twitching in death's throes, as boots of her killer crunched the leaves underfoot.

Kanda stared disdainfully as the body finally grew still. This was all the mythology and legend had to offer? A sad little girl with a sob story of not knowing who she was and no wish to fight whatsoever? True, she had seemed ferocious when they'd first picked her up. But there was nothing now that she could dish out that Kanda couldn't handle. She was just too weak. He sneered and turned his back to her. "This is too easy." He grumbled as a golem flew down to him. He hadn't even unsheathed his sword. He simply tore through her with brute force. How incredibly fragile she was for being so invincible.

"Did you kill her?" Komui's worried voice buzzed at him.

"No. She's not dead. She'll regenerate." Kanda occupied himself with getting a spot of her blood off his boot.

"Alright then. Be careful though. From what we found out, she may—"

The golem seemed to spontaneously split in half, as if told to self destruct.

Kanda whirled around, sword drawn out, to see a whirlwind of leaves and dirt start up around Tsume's body. There was a bright light that seemed to shine around her and her face was twisted up as if in pain. Her eyes opened and bright white light shone out like twin light houses. Her head reattached before his eyes as her body bent and lifted itself off the ground. He watched in a sort of horrified fascination as her hands become bone white claws that stretched down to her ankles. She grew a tail, the same bone white color, and her face contorted as her jaw stretched and molded into strange jagged overlapping teeth. Her eyes were as if they'd been forced open, the ominous white light shining out of them with a vengeance. But over her chest and down her abdomen, something shone through the material of her dress. It seemed like a cross between a J and a catholic cross, like the symbol he'd seen inscribed in a mad man's blood on the floor so many days ago.

The thing let out a hiss that sounded like a fissure down to hell had opened up to swallow the doomed and focused solely on him.

He never had time to react, becoming the hunted instead of the hunter. It flew at him in a flurry of wind and leaves of the trees, claws raised like five scythes of the god of death. He got his sword up half way to block before it tore through his shoulder and brushed across his hip, leaving a wide and deep gash. He almost lost his arm. He flew backward and landed with a sickening crunch in the ground. He gasped sharply as he heard ribs crack under the shock and looked up to see the thing eyeing him, crouched down with its head turned to the side. It looked curious and sick, like a creature involved in some ungodly game.

He raised his sword, anticipating the move rather then seeing it, as it struck again. It screamed and flinched back, retreating to its original spot as a long forked tongue slowly nursed a burnt hand.

Innocence had burnt it.

Kanda tried to rise, ignoring the screaming protests of his broken body. He couldn't even feel his right arm anymore. It was lost in a sea of damaged and torn nerves.

It stopped its frantic licking and narrowed its eyes.

Kanda closed his eyes as he felt a claw pierce straight through his good shoulder and sink into the ground, pinning him. He opened his eyes slowly and met its bright white eyes that showed no mercy and no intelligent thought. He smirked shakily and spat out an expletive.

It roared in response and sank its incredibly twisted jaws into his abdomen.

It was eating him alive.

Kanda grabbed desperately onto its claw in an attempt to pull it out of his shoulder, but it paid no heed and kept up the grisly task of tearing him to pieces.

It happened so quickly. There was no warning. But suddenly the monster withdrew and left him be, crouched low with its terrible hideous claws over its ears, its bloody gaping mouth opened in a pain filled scream. Its tail lashed behind it as slowly, ever so slowly, the claws retracted and the jaws became normal teeth behind red bloody lips. The ungodly scream became a tormented cry when finally, Tsume collapsed on the ground, covered in Kanda's own blood.

Kanda drew in one ragged breath and let his eyes close.

Tsume shakily got to her knees and starred at him, horrified. She touched her mouth hesitantly, and then drew back her fingers stained in a dark red sin. She hurriedly got up and ran, tripping over herself and collapsing against a tree not far from where she started. She hurled everything that was in her stomach, sickened beyond herself.

"Tsume!"

Her head, as if lowered down by a weight, looked up slowly as Allen, Lavi, Lenalee, and a man with glasses rushed into the clearing. They were followed by two other men in Black Order garb with a stretcher.

"Oh MY GO-!!" Lenalee screamed but it was choked off, as if somebody cut off her windpipe. Her hands were all but stuffed in her mouth as she stared at what had been a very healthy young man only five minutes ago.

Tsume hung her head and started to sob.

"Tsume…?"

She looked up at Allen as he approached her hesitantly with Lavi behind him. He looked sick and pale and unsure. She hated it. She never wanted anyone to look at her like that. "I told….I told you…" She whimpered, dragging a shaky arm across her mouth. Using the tree as support, she stumbled to the front of it and collapsed to a sitting position, too weak to do anymore than that. She hung her head and sobbed into her hands.

"Tsume…you're hurt…"Allen reached out and touched her burnt hand gingerly.

She snarled unconsciously, the sound unearthly and just as horrible as it had been before.

Kanda, unconscious in the stretcher, tightened his deathlike grip on his sword.

Allen retreated quickly, stumbling into Lavi.

Tsume pulled her injured arm to her chest and stared at the ground, rocking as best she could on her knees.

Lavi put a reassuring hand on Allen's shoulder and approached Tsume slowly. "You need to have that looked at." He said firmly, standing a few feet away.

She shook her head.

"Don't be stupid." He chided gently and extended a hand towards her. "Lets get you cleaned up and you'll feel better. Come on."

She didn't move, sitting there.

He sighed and squatted down, tilting his head as he tried to catch her eye. "Can I at least see it then?"

She turned her head, refusing to look him in the eye as she slowly extended her injured hand into his palm.

He held it gently but firmly and whistled. "Wow…That's some serious damage he dealt you…"

She shot him a look.

He smiled back sincerely. "Come on Ro. Come with us."

She retreated her hand and kept her eyes to her lower left.

He sighed finally and got up, turning around. "Come on, Allen."

She looked up suddenly, jerking her head up. A panicked expression crossed her face and she stood quickly. She grabbed onto the back of his jacket, like she was hiding from everyone else.

He raised an eyebrow, smiling as he looked over his shoulder.

Allen grinned. "I think you have an attachment."

"I think I do too." Lavi said softly, his smile a bit sad. "I think I do too."

-

Tsume couldn't believe the amount of kindness everyone was showing her. It was incredible. She'd practically disemboweled Kanda and he was still talking to her. Well, probably not talking. She didn't think 'You're stepping on my foot' counted really. She was just amazed he'd healed so fast. It had been a week or so and he was almost ready to walk without the crutches. That didn't stop Tsume from losing her appetite every time she saw him.

"Ro...?" Lavi waved a hand in front of her face. "Helloooo....Earth to you? Are you still with us?"

Tsume blinked tiredly. "Hmm?"

"You're not eating anything."

Kanda glanced up at her absently and Tsume pushed her plate away queasily. "Not hungry." In fact, she didn't really like eating in a crowded space like the cafeteria. It was a little distracting to try to swallow food with the obnoxious chatter and different smells going on all around.

"Okay." Lavi gave up and started chatting with Allen.

Tsume smiled. He was so easily bored.

"Tsume can I have your plate?" Allen asked, his mouth already full of food.

Tsume shoved it over to him and cupped her head in her hands, staring off into space. Yes, it had been a week since the ill-fated arrival to HQ and everyone seemed mostly accepting, on account that they all thought she was just another human exorcist. The only time she seemed to run into any problems was when someone asked her what exactly was her anti-akuma weapon. Lavi, as a joke, had said that she turned into some kind of beast, and she didn't talk to him for the rest of the day. She smiled absently at that. It had been mean to do, but he'd deserved it for that comment. He had been extremely dismayed to learn from Lenalee that she wasn't going to speak to him til he profusely apologized.

She came out of her daze to realize that everyone had left her to go chat with someone on the other side of the room. She exhaled softly and moved to stand.

Suddenly two hands on either of her shoulders pushed her back down as two men sat on either side of her. She paused, bewildered.

The first man, red headed and bearded, smiled at her. The smell of his cheap aftershave filled her senses. "Where you going, miss? We just barely came by to introduce ourselves." He put a hand to his chest. "The name's John. John Harver."

"Please to meet you Mr. Harver." Tsume said, uncomfortable.

"My name's Timothy Leever." Harver's younger companion said. He seemed a few years younger then Harver, with black hair and a face that set her on edge.

"Hello Mr. Leever." Tsume glanced up desperately for her friends.

"What's your name, miss?" Harver asked politely.

Tsume wished they'd let go of her. "Tsume." She said quietly.

Lavi watched, stone-faced, from his position on the other side of the cafeteria.

"Leever and Harver?" Kanda asked, leaning against a pillar. He'd chosen to not demean himself any longer with the crutches, though still in need of the assistive devices to a point.

"Yeah." Lavi's gaze met the Bookman's, who was positioned to his far left. The Bookman nodded at him. "Nothing I can do about it either." He muttered.

Kanda folded his arms. "You want to do something about it?"

"She's getting harassed!" He turned his head.

Kanda shrugged. "So? She should be able to handle herself."

Lavi drew in breath to say something about the way she'd handled herself in the fight that led to Kanda's current predicament, when a slow smile spread on his face. "Yu-chan...dear Yu-chan..."

Kanda's expression was cold and flat, his word's sharp. "Not in a million years."

"I'll owe you one."

That was tempting. That actually was incredibly tempting. Having the annoying one eyed maniac under his heel would give him a sense of satisfaction, though usually short lived. He glanced at Harver and Leever and their chosen victim. Not only that but he'd at least get to pound those miserable execuses for men into the ground. "Fine." He snapped. "But you do owe me one." He pushed himself off the pillar and made his way slowly over to where Tsume sat.

"So what do you have planned for today?" Harver asked Tsume, unaware of his impending doom.

Tsume was beginning to think she should just run off, despite how awkward it would be later to explain why. "Uh..."

"Tsume, come on."

She looked up, her eyes wide in surprise as Kanda stood above her, looking more then a little angry. She stood and stepped beside him.

He smirked dangerously at Harver and Leever as he said, "Wouldn't want you hanging out with trash like them."

Leever shoved the table away and stood, getting up into the swordsman's face. "You got something to say about me, Kanda?"

"Already did."

"Oh yeah? Why don't you say it again if you're man enough."

Kanda let every word bite into Leever's head, an infuriating smirk on his face. "I wouldn't want Tsume hanging out with trash like you."

Tsume was awed. That was the closest she'd ever seen him to smiling.

Harver pulled the growling Leever away. "Come on Tim. It's not worth it."

"Yeah come on Tim." Kanda called as they started away. "Go away with your tail between your legs like the worthless son-"

Leever spun around and smashed his fist toward Kanda's face.

Tsume screamed.

Kanda caught his fist and slowly started to push it away from his face. "Are you sure you want to fight me?" He asked softly. "Really, Tim? You're boyfriend doesn't want you to though."

"Kanda I don't think..." Tsume started hesitantly.

But then Harver stood beside Leever with a serious look on his face. "Kanda, I think you've gone too far this time. I'm fighting with Leever now."

Allen stood next to Kanda. "What's going on, Kanda?"

"Stay out of it, Beansprout!" Kanda snapped.

Leever laughed. "What's the matter, Yu? Don't want your lover to get hurt?"

Kanda snarled and dove for his face.

Tsume slipped out as the mayhem started, watching with a mix of horror and disgust as a circle started around the fighters. She walked out of the cafeteria and headed for her room, certain everyone was completely mad. She wandered down the halls, heaving a sigh. Humans were ridiculous.

"Ro!"

Tsume turned to see Lavi jogging to catch up with her. He smiled. "Wow. You started a fight. Gotta be proud of yourself for that one."

She gave him an exasperated look and continued walking.

"Woah, wait!" He caught up to her again. "Chief Komui wants to talk to you about something in his office."

"Oh?" Tsume switched directions, puzzled. "What does he want to talk to me about?"

Lavi shrugged helpfully, his hands in his pockets as he walked along side her. "I do know they finally stopped analyzing your journal."

"Great." Tsume smiled. "It'll be nice to get that back. I've been writing on stray pieces of paper mostly and it's a little annoying."

Lavi knocked on the door for them.

The door opened and both of them walked into the room.

Tsume was amazed. It looked like a tornado had hit a stack of papers and no one had bothered to clean it up. She stepped cautiously, knowing how much she hated her own papers to get stepped on, but it was impossible not to.

"Please!" Komui smiled at them. "Sit!"

Tsume did, but Lavi stood next to the Bookman. She avoided the man's stare, looking at her own boots. He scared her to no end. "You wanted to see us?" She asked her boots.

Komui handed her journal over and she took it greatfully. "Quite an intriguing history you got there."

Tsume smiled a little sadly. "Thank you sir." She held her journal to her chest.

Komui cleared his throat. "After studying it, we decided that you need to go obtain as much knowledge as you can from this mysterious place in Transylvania it describes. That's why I'm sending you and young Lavi on a mission over there." He took a sip of his coffee and placed the mug back on the table.

Tsume nodded. "Alright."

"We'll be sending the others on a different mission to more or less distract the enemy." Komui glanced at the Bookman. "They'll meet up with you later. Any questions?"

"None, sir." Tsume said.

Lavi was silent, his mouth set in an uncomfortable line.

"These are the places I've outlined as most likely to be your destination. You'll have to check all of them, I'm afraid." Komui handed her some papers. "You leave tomorrow morning."

Taking that as a dismissal, Tsume stood, bowed, and left as Komui turned to Lavi. "Yes Lavi?" She shut the door on the conversation, ignoring the temptation to listen in even through the thick door. She looked over the papers he had handed her as she walked. They were all of old and historic locations with mysterious pasts and local legends. She pressed them to her chest with her journal and scuffed her boots on the cold stone floor as she walked. She was being sent on a mission alone with him, huh? Well…it could be worse…it could've been stone cold Kanda. She smiled at that and walked into her room.

-

Lavi walked out of Komui's office, disturbed and a little angry. They were making him go on a mission alone with her, hmm? Ridiculous. He stopped and let out an aggravated sigh. It just seemed too convenient. The Bookman was going off with the other group, but it would take a while for them to meet up with Ro and him. No adult supervision…out in the middle of no where… He was starting to feel for Allen when he and Lenalee went on that mission and found Miranda…

"Lavi…?"

He blinked, focusing in on the shadows. "Oh hey Ro. What's up?"

"Do you…do you not want to do this…?" She stepped into the light hesitantly. "Because if you do, that's fine. I understand."

"No I'm fine with it." He smiled, lying through his teeth.

She flashed a smile at him. Why did she seem so far away? "I'm nervous…"

"Don't be." He made as if to touch her and decided not to, his hand retreating awkwardly. "It'll be just fine." He wished that sounded more like he meant it.

She smiled a little in appreciation and then looked at the floor.

He rubbed the back of his head. Since when did this become awkward? He opened his mouth to say something but she stopped him.

"Lavi," She hesitated then kissed him on the cheek, her hand on his wrist. She pulled back slowly and whispered, "Pack warm." She turned, giving him one last small smile before walking down the hall.

He tried to focus on breathing but only for a little bit. Everything just went out the window when it came to her from then on. He floated down the hall, obviously anywhere but here.

-

Tsume was sitting in the chapel looking at the stained glass windows when Lenalee came in.

"Tsume."

The raven haired girl turned her head to the side, not looking away. "Hey Lenalee."

"We're all ready for you. Are you ready to go?" Lenalee walked past the pews to reach her blue-eyed friend. Funny that she should go here of all places.

Tsume didn't answer, her hands twitching restlessly as Lenalee came to a stop beside her. "Lenalee, who is God?"

"Well…no one really knows…" Lenalee looked thoughtful. "But he is the Father of All, I suppose. He's got a lot of names." She then smiled apologetically. "I know you can talk to him. Why?"

Tsume looked at her hands. "The Bible calls Him all sorts of names. I looked them all up because I couldn't sleep."

Lenalee kneeled next to the pew and put a hand on Tsume's knee, saying softly, "Are you frightened Tsume? Is that why you couldn't sleep?"

Tsume nodded, then looked away. She tried to clear her throat as she started to tear up. "I…I tore Kanda apart with my bare hands, Lenalee. I'm not normal. I'm not human. It's a façade, this entire…well, just me. So…if I'm not human, that gives me two options according to the Bible; I can be an angel or a demon." Tsume exhaled slowly, trying to get control of herself. "I just…I don't want to find out…I don't want to find out that I…"

"You're not a demon." Lenalee took her hand. "Honest."

Tsume flashed her a smile and took another deep breath. "We'll find out soon…God willing…" She stood, her pale blue eyes staring a hole into the wall as if she was wishing it would open up and swallow her misery. "God willing…" She whispered again, tearing her eyes away to her friend.

-

The train rumbled through the countryside, lights blaring out and banishing the darkness in the fall evening. Inside, everyone seemed to be settling down to sleep or at least nap in the dimming lights of the individual cars.

Tsume and Lavi, left to their own car, stared out into the fleeing darkness, each to their own thoughts.

Lavi was incredibly bored. He'd taken a book out and was scanning over the pages instead of reading. He'd already memorized its contents anyway. It was just something to look at besides miles of dark trees and endless fields with workers and…well…Tsume. He glanced at her now, trying to decipher her look as he licked his fingers to turn a page. She'd been oddly silent since they began the journey that day. It was a little annoying when it came to trying to start a conversation and very uncomfortable. What happened to the Tsume from yesterday in the hall? He directed his gaze towards his book. He shouldn't be thinking about that. There were other things more important in life then a fling in the hall with an immortal. He peeked up at her again, out of habit, to see her chewing furiously on her lip. She'd been doing it off and on for hours and her lip was beginning to show it. "You're lip's bleeding." He observed, lowering his book.

She blinked out her daze and let her lip roll out from between her teeth. She turned her head, looking surprised. "Huh?"

Impulsively, he leaned towards her. "Right…here…" He said as he used his thumb to start wiping away the blood that had started to pool on her already red lips. There was an instant charge as he became aware of her breathing and how it had stopped the minute he had touched her. His own breathing rate increased dramatically as his thumb left her lip. His gaze met hers fearlessly as he leaned back in his seat and brought his thumb to his mouth. "You need to stop doing that…" He licked the blood off his skin. "…Ro."

She swallowed, flushing pink, and started twisting the fabric of her jacket so hard, she ripped it. She looked away as he smiled.

"Mmm…" He leaned forward. "Does the rest of you taste this good too?"

Tsume tried to look busy with a couple of papers. "They bugged a golem and sent it with us." The papers almost slipped out of her hand. "It goes off whenever we get too close."

"Didn't go off now." He shrugged.

Tsume put her hands on her lap, but the fingers were restless. "Let me explain more candidly. It'll go off _when _and _if_ our bodies or heads are touching."

Lavi blinked. "Wait so…?"

Tsume sighed. "Let me show you…" She sat next to him and leaned over his legs, as if to grab the book he'd been reading.

There was a loud beeping noise that grated their ears to no end. A small black golem flew out of Tsume's bag and around their heads, screeching an alarm.

"How do you shut it off?!" Lavi yelled over the noise, putting his hands over his ears.

Tsume reached up and caught the golem. She flicked a switch and the incessant screeching stopped. She let it go and it bounced lazily in the air before zipping back into her bag.

Lavi relaxed visibly. "Good Lord…! Who came up with that little monster??"

"The lab techs." Tsume settled next to him carefully, her eyes on the bag across from them. "They tried sneaking it into my things but I found it and they felt obligated to explain its presence." She liked being this close to him. He was like a space heater and she was so cold.

"Obligated…" He turned to look at her, a smile on his face with his eyebrow raised. "…or you made them?"

She smiled back at him, their foreheads almost touching. "I'd prefer the term 'obligated'."

He chuckled and turned his head back. "I thought you didn't like using your 'female powers of persuasion'." He laughed as she flicked his kneecap playfully. "So are they watching us right now?"

"Yeah. It's new technology they came up with."

Lavi reached across Tsume's lap for the book.

Immediately, it was out and shouting its angry protest to the air.

Lavi made a rude gesture at it. "Little bugge-"

There was a screeching sound and the two were thrown into the aisle with excessive force. Tsume landed on top of Lavi and the golem went off in a higher pitch.

The train shuddered underneath them, like a metallic beast with a wound.

"What's going on?!" Lavi yelled as Tsume pushed off of him. She reached up and stretched her hand out to the golem, ready to catch it.

A large clawed hand busted through the train wall and grabbed the device, smashing it to pieces with a twitch of the muscles. A maniacal laugh sounded as the hand retreated and a shot rippled through the air, blasting another hole in the wall.

Time slowed for Lavi as he watched with horror an akuma bullet speed its way towards him.

~The end of this chapter. Please R&R! I'd love to hear what you think about this!~


	6. Welcome Home

~Playlist up! I've had several dreams about this stupid story…I think it's infected my brain…HELP!!! IT'S THE FG-VIRUS!!!! I'M NOW A ZOMBIE!!!! ARRRrrrrrggghhh….!!! *ahem* er…don't own D. Gray-Man.~

Chapter 6: Welcome Home

Tsume lunged for him, shoving him out of the way and across the car. There was a sickening crunch as the demon bullet crushed a hole in her skull and she dropped to the floor immediately.

Lavi, anti-akuma weapon at the ready and a little pissed at getting tossed, stood up. It was a level two with at least two level ones, maybe more. He spun his hammer over his head. "Shouldn't have done that." He said, smirking. (Insert awesome Lavi move here.)

He cursed as he got shoved into the train wall again. At least the level ones were dead. He wiped the blood from his lip and glanced around for Tsume's body. She should be coming around about now…maybe…did she survive this…?

There! The flash of blinding light outside the train!

He ducked as the metal above his head crunched in with a squeal and something hissing. So she had the level two akuma? Fine. He ran towards the giant hole and glanced out, then he held onto the frayed edges as he leaned out, craning his neck up to see what was going on.

Tsume looked…different. Different was a nice word. Different was an understatement. Her fingers were elongated into claws and something signed through her clothing down her chest…The sign of the Jonah? Yes that had to be it. At least her face hadn't contorted like Kanda said it would. That meant she still had some sense left.

She stood over her prey and brought a claw up to her lips. "Who sent you?" She licked a stream of blood off her appendage.

Lavi tensed, waiting for the telltale sign of pentacles to show on her skin.

Nothing. Not a single mark on her white alabaster exterior.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" The akuma screeched. "No one se-!"

It cried out in pain as Tsume struck it. "Tell me now!" Her voice was thunderous; like a thunder storm that you knew would kill you.

"Road!!" It shrieked. "Road sent me!!"

Tsume paused to consider this before striking again.

Lavi threw himself into the interior of the train, barely dodging its head and body separately falling into the snow. He started to approach again, going to look for the body when Tsume's head, upside down, popped out of no where and threw him back on his behind. He swore explosively.

Tsume, eyes bright, laughed at him and swung into the interior of the train as it started to slow to a halt. "Sorry…I didn't mean to scare you."

He rolled his eyes with a smile as she helped him up. "Sure…you say that now…" He kept her hand on hers. "You…worried me." He admitted. "When you were up there…"

Tsume flushed a little and looked down. But she didn't take her hand away from his. "I'm sorry…"

He shook his head, smiling. "No it's fine." He dropped his hand. "I just didn't know you were resistant to akuma blood…or bullets, for that matter."

Tsume blinked. "Are they poisonous?"

"Highly. You die within minutes." He grabbed their suitcases and glanced to his side, handing Tsume her things. "I guess we're stopping."

"Yeah they must've figured out what was wrong." Tsume turned her head slightly to the side. She never realized how nice he looked at that angle…

He caught her eye and grinned. "Like what you see?"

Tsume turned away, wishing she could've died. That was the LAST thing she wanted him to see her doing! Checking him out was not on her priority list. Suddenly the world started to dim around the edges and tilt in a strange way. She felt her knees start to buckle and she dropped her bag, pitching forward. Was that someone yelling her name? Why was the world covered in black pentacles? What was going-?

-

Kanda was just dozing off when it happened. Thanks to his incredible ability to heal, he only had a pink scar left on his abdomen from his encounter with the monster Tsume could become. He was finally free of those stupid crutches!

Despite his 'good mood' at being liberated from such bonds, Bean Sprout and him got into a long and heated argument that Lenalee and the Bookman finally had to break up. Now, Lenalee was distracting Allen somewhere so they wouldn't kill each other and he could care less where the Bookman was. Just as long as he could catch some sleep…

"An exorcist, huh?'

Kanda opened his eyes with a snap.

The car was dark and small, rocking slightly as the train moved. He glanced around and put his hand on Mugen. "Who's there?"

A woman materialized next to him, seemingly out of no where. The wind from the incredible speed of her appearance whipped his around briefly. His lips thinned into a straight line as he narrowed his eyes.

She seemed harmless enough, a woman small in stature with almost childish hands. Her eyes glowed gold and she smiled absently. "My name is Lindy. What's yours?"

"What are you?" He moved away, watching her cautiously. She wasn't human, that he knew for sure. There seemed to be an ominous glow coming from her that he couldn't describe.

She leaned close to him and closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. "Intriguing…" She studied him. "I've never met a human that's been attacked by a First Generation Jonah and lived."

"What. Are. You." He snarled. He didn't have enough room to wield Mugen. He was trapped. His eyes flitted to either side of the car for possible exits, if anything to get more room then he had now.

"I'm a Jonah, dear exorcist." She smiled and placed a hand to her chest. "Second Generation. I've come to ask if the deal you have supposedly offered my cousin still applies to others like me."

"You mean us no harm?"

"None whatsoever." Lindy fiddled with an orb like ornament around her neck, looking a little impatient.

"How do I know you're a Jonah?" Kanda scowled.

Lindy flashed him another smile that seemed sinister.

Suddenly he was face to claw with the proof he had asked for. Her fingers had extended just like Tsume's had that day.

His breathing caught in his throat and he drew back quickly, almost bashing his head on the train window.

"Does this seem familiar?" She asked sweetly. "Or do you need the full version to trigger your memory?"

"You're in." He hissed, seething on the inside. If only he could free up his sword, he'd show this slut who was boss.

The claw retracted and she laughed, the sound soft. "Great! What're we doing?"

"You're getting away from me." He snapped.

She scooted away, but didn't seem intimidated by his anger. Instead, she smirked. "Ooo…feisty…"

-

When Tsume felt the beginnings of consciousness, her first thought was of the train. 'I guess we'll have to walk now…' She thought, her brain stumbling to rewire itself.

Her eyes blinked open to see the bottom of a book. "La-Lavi…?"

The book moved and Lavi's face appeared. He smiled. "Morning sleeping beauty. Thought you'd never come around." His tone was teasing but the tightness in his smile gave Tsume her first clue that he'd been worried again.

She blinked slowly and looked up at him through half lidded eyes. "What…?" She smiled a little as she realized her head was in his lap. "What happened?"

"You passed out, Ro." He rubbed the bridge of his nose absently, setting his book down. "The train stopped and they got everyone off it, promising a new train in a few days. I figured we might as well hitch a ride so…" He gestured to their surroundings; a wagon with hay in the corners, like someone had just unloaded it, driven by a man with a wide brimmed hat and a gray moustache. "He took pity on us. He'll be dropping us off into the next small town so we can find a place to sleep for the night."

Throughout his explanation, his hand was trailing through her hair as if he was rearranging it; like he didn't care what this would mean.

She closed her eyes halfway, deciding not to care anymore either. She felt exhausted and weak. "Okay…"

"You alright?" He stopped, peering at her.

"Yeah…yeah I'm fine…" She exhaled softly. She sat up next to him, glancing around. "A farmer?"

"Yup." Lavi leaned back, his back against the side of the cart. "Name's Mr. Koristov. He speaks English, but it's a little hard to understand. I got him talking to me for a while since you were out and I was bored but…" He shrugged. "He stopped talking."

Tsume chuckled. That was just like Lavi.

"What?" He smiled back.

"Nothing, I just think you're-"

"Cute?"

She blushed. "Umm…"

"Dashing?" He struck a pose and she laughed again. "I'm guessing not." He teased, bumping shoulders with her. "And I thought I had something going for me with that word…"

"I'm sorry. Would it make you feel better if I agreed?"

"Maybe."

"Well then fine." She tried hard not to turn pinker. "You're 'dashing'."

He gave her a sideways look with a sly grin. "Liar. You're just saying that to inflate my ego."

"One must always try." She teased.

They fell silent, staring out into the trees as they ambled along.

Tsume felt a chill race up her spine as a breeze floated past and she shivered.

Lavi glanced at her. "Cold?"

Tsume shook her head. "No I'm fine."

Regardless, Lavi stretched his arms out and wrapped one around her, bringing her close. He rested the other one on the cart. "Better?" He asked.

Tsume looked up at him. "A lot." She replied softly.

Suddenly, Mr. Koristov started to whistle a tune as snow started to fall all around them.

Tsume smiled as she put her head on his shoulder, watching the woods become white with winter's embrace. "That's a familiar tune…"

Lavi looked down at her, eyebrow raised. "Did they sing it down in South America?"

She shook her head, her eyes closed. "No…" Her voice was soft, strange. "No they didn't."

Lavi looked up at Mr. Koristov. "He's been whistling it for most of the trip."

Tsume's lips puckered slightly as she strove to remember. "It…it has words…"

"Do you know them?" He said.

Tsume nodded, then paused before starting to sing softly with the man's whistling. Her voice was soft and a little breathy. It wasn't the best voice in the world, but it was hers and he'd be willing to listen to it any time of the day. "Blue, blue caravan winding down to the valley of lights. My true love is a man who would hold me for ten thousand nights."

Mr. Koristov glanced back at them and switched from whistling the melody to the harmony, twining with Tsume's voice as if to cut through the falling snow and enfold the deadened trees.

"In the wild, wild wail of the wind he's a house 'neath the soft yellow moon. So blue, blue caravan won't you carry me down to him soon." She opened her eyes half way and sighed.

"Go on." He urged. "Do you not know the rest?"

"No…" Tsume turned her face towards his shoulder. "I do. It's just a very sad song."

The farmer called from the front. "Are you from dis country miss?" His baritone voice was rich and heavily accented.

"N…no…" Tsume answered hesitantly, lifting her head up a little.

"Oh, you no know story behind song?"

"No I don't."

"Ach! Dis is very sad song, yes?" The farmer continued on. "There be a young woman who say…very rich, yes? She love man who live in village. He tell her all about places all over world he see with his papa when he was young. Young woman decides to travel and see places. But her lover, he say he must stay and work. So they make promise, yes? She say she return and he say he wait for her."

"That's different." Lavi interjected, looking intrigued. He put a hand on his chin. "Usually the guy runs off-"

"Shush! No interrupting, yes?" The farmer hushed him.

Tsume giggled as Lavi looked stricken at the possibility of being quiet.

He smiled and squeezed her closer. "I apologize. Continue, Mr. Koristov."

"Dank you." Mr. Koristov went on. "So young woman travels world, yes? Gets man offers to marriage by rich men. But she say no. She wants to go back to her lover. But when she come home years later, he gone."

"Did he run off?" Lavi cut in, in spite of himself.

Tsume put a hand on his chest.

He smiled lazily at her.

"No, he no run off." The farmer's tone was soft. "No he not there, yes?"

"What do you mean?" Lavi put a hand up and captured Tsume's hand absently, his attention on the farmer.

Tsume, afraid, took her hand away and slipped it to the side of her.

He didn't look away. In fact, he seemed to not have noticed.

She exhaled softly and closed her eyes, settling against him. How tired she had become…

"He no exist." Mr. Koristov struggled for the words. "He was demon, yes? What is word…akuma?"

-

They arrived in town well after the sky had turned from a light gray to a dark starless night. Lavi hopped off the cart first and grabbed their bags. He set them down and gestured for Tsume to come closer to the edge of the cart. "Come here, Ro."

She swung her legs off the end and blushed as he placed his hands on her hips. She put her hands on his shoulders and he helped her off. She backed away a bit and focused her attention on straightening her clothes out. "Thanks Lavi."

He smiled. "Sure thing, Ro." He waved at Mr. Koristov. "Thank you sir!"

The man smiled. "No problem!" He leaned towards them conspiratorially. "You two lovers? Run away from home?"

"No." Tsume stiffened.

"Yes." Lavi said at the exact same time.

She gave him a look as he went and put an arm around her waist.

Mr. Koristov laughed. "Good luck to you, yes?" He turned back and clicked at the horse, the reins flashing through the air.

They watched him go off into the night, standing side by side until he was swallowed up in the darkness.

"Lovers?" Tsume said dryly.

Lavi brought her closer. "You don't like it?" He murmured, his tone teasing.

"Um…" Tsume started to chew on her lip, her nose brushing against his. Lord, he had the greenest eye she had ever seen. She placed her hands on his shoulders. "I…"

He pulled away, smiling. "Come on. Let's find us a place to stay." He offered his hand to her, picking up his bag.

She picked hers up as well, slightly dazed at this sudden show of affection. What had gotten into him? It wasn't as if she didn't like it. It was just…abrupt. She smiled a little, but it was quick. What was the consequence of all this? There was this Road person to think about who had sent the akuma after her. They'd almost killed Lavi. She didn't want to think about what would happen if they finally decided to come together. She took his hand anyway, deciding she had the whole trip to worry about this. In the meantime, he was here and he was warm.

They trekked off into the snow, hand in hand, approaching the lights of a small town.

"Lavi?"

"Hmm?"

She stopped, keeping her hold on his hand.

He paused and turned to her, curious. "What is it?"

She hesitated, her voice soft. "Why is it that every time I look at you…I'm home…?"

He blinked once and smiled warmly. He walked up and kissed her on the forehead. "Because I'll always be there when you do come home." He smoothed out her hair and smiled against her forehead, his eyes closed. This was nice. The acceptance. The warm feeling inside that trickled down to the tips of his toes. It was all real and it was here and he loved it. "Come on." He pulled away. "I bet you're freezing."

She smiled and let him lead her on. "Not anymore."

-

The sign said inn, but they were both certain it was just the local bar with rooms above. Everyone laughed, talked, and even argued loudly. Everything was at the top of everyone's lungs.

Speaking in halting Romanian, Lavi bargained out a room with a robust woman serving drinks.

She smiled kindly at Tsume as she showed them their rooms, asking something along the lines of 'are you cold'.

Tsume nodded, suddenly shy in the presence of this woman.

She said something else and walked out.

"She said she's gonna see if she has a dress somewhere that's your size." Lavi told her.

"People need to stop giving me clothes." She sighed in exasperation.

"You need to stop looking so cute." Lavi teased. He squeezed her hand. "Want me to sleep on the floor?" He gestured with their locked hands to the one bed.

Tsume looked at him worriedly. "You'll be cold."

"I'll be fine." He shrugged. "I always have to sleep on the floor when I go on trips with The Bookman."

"Well that's not any excuse to put you on the floor." Tsume grumbled.

He rolled his eyes and put a hand on his shoulder, rotating it. "You need to stop tossing me everywhere, woman."

Her eyes widened. "Did I hurt you?"

He stared at her for a second. How could this impossibly innocent girl be capable of killing things? "Uh…no. No I'm fine." He put his arm down. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Come off as completely innocent when you're one of the most lethal things I have ever encountered."

She went over to the bed and sat on it, examining the room. Four red walls with a standardized bed, a rug on the floor next to the fireplace…nothing really out of the ordinary. "I don't know." She confessed. "I just…well…" She chewed on her lip. "It was going to hurt you, so I kinda…hurt it back…" She stared at her hands.

Lavi opened his mouth to say something else when the woman came in again with a plain red dress and a belt. She set them on the bed and smiled again at Tsume.

Tsume nodded back, a pleasant expression on her face.

The woman left, chatting with Lavi briefly before shutting the door.

Lavi came over to Tsume. "I'm going downstairs to get something to eat. Come down when you're finished." He hesitated then kissed her forehead again. "Thank you." He left, shutting the door behind him.

Tsume ran a finger over the fabric, sighing. She touched her forehead and smiled.

-

Lavi was idly drinking water in a corner; the only non alcoholic beverage in the place. He watched the talk start to dwindle down as the night grew late. He stifled a yawn and glanced around for some sort of clock. Surely a bar/inn would have one…?

It was almost midnight. He stifled another yawn and put his head on his arm. Tsume had better come down soon or he'd fall asleep right on the table.

Conversation stopped around where the stairs were.

He looked up, smiling as she came up to greet him at a table.

"It's pretty late." She said off handedly.

"We won't stay long." He shoved a plate with some bread and cheese on it. "You should eat something. You had a rough day."

She rubbed her arm awkwardly and picked at the food. She looked up at him briefly and opened her mouth to say something, but shut it immediately. She ate in silence after that.

It was only after Lavi had fallen asleep at the table that they both decided to go to bed. She woke him up and stood. "Come on, let's get you to bed."

He rubbed his eye. "You didn't eat anything." He pointed out, standing and stretching.

"Not hungry." She slipped her arm around his and they walked up the stairs together.

He gave her a scrutinizing look. She seemed off; like someone had erased a lot of the happiness she had ever had at one time. He leaned closer as he opened the door for her. "You feeling alright?"

"I feel fine." She sighed. "Just tired."

He decided not to press it and she slipped away from him to get ready for bed. He yawned again, grabbed a blanket, and lit the fireplace. He lay on the floor, facing the fire that had started. Hey, if it got out of control while they slept, at least he'd be the first to know. His eye closed as he listened to Tsume move around the room, her footsteps soft and slow.

-

Chapter seven coming soon. YAY FLUFF!!!


	7. Kisses and Truths

~Wow! Chapter 7! I'm so excited! Everything seems to be wrapping up pretty nicely! MAJOR FG PLOT REVELATIONS IN THIS CHAPTER!!! Don't forget to read Forbidden Goods! It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry…yadda yadda. Don't own D. Gray-Man.~

Chapter 7: Kisses and Truths

"_Speak to me of the dark gifts, I use them, I'm gentleman death in silk and lace, come to put out the candles."_

_-Anne Rice_

Tsume rolled in her sleep, tormented by thoughts and ideas and dreams; the wisps in her mind that unraveled her sanity little by little. The air was cold and brisk still, though the fire had warmed the room some. She could hear Lavi's breathing, loud in the dead silence of night in a foreign country. She exhaled softly and pulled herself up, wrapping the worn blanket around her as she swung her legs off the side of the bed. Her toes brushed the wood as she bit her lip and contemplated. There was no going back after this. Even if they didn't find anything, she'd be a different person. It was just so close that it was driving her mad. She could feel the truth like a tremor from the earth, generating from an unknown point of origin until it reached her.

Lavi let out a sigh in his sleep and turned towards her, tucking his arm underneath him.

She smiled absently, watching him breathe. She softly got up and kneeled next to him, tucking her legs beneath her. She hesitated then brushed a stray lock of hair out of his face. He was warm from the coals, his face healthy and pink in contrast to her pale cold hands.

Lavi's eye blinked open, his eye sight hazy and unfocused. "Ro…?"

Tsume bit her lip. "Sorry…" She whispered, turning towards the fire and putting her knees up. She wrapped her arms around her legs as she said softly. "Just getting warm. Didn't mean to wake you."

He sat up, rubbing his eye blearily. "No it's cool. Are you cold over there?" He yawned and stretched.

"No." Tsume muttered, burying the lower half of her face in between her knees. She stared at the embers, her eyes distant.

"Hand." He held out his own, looking stern.

Confused, Tsume complied, putting her hand in his.

He laced there fingers together and held it to him. "Liar." He said good naturedly. "You're freezing." He scooted closer, rubbing her hand to restore some circulation and warmth.

Tsume smiled a little. "Sorry."

He didn't answer, focusing on the embers. Finally he said softly, "What are you worried about? You've been tossing and turning all night."

She blinked. "But…you were asleep…"

"I'm a light sleeper sometimes." He said impatiently. "So what's up?"

"Nothing. Just concerned." Tsume let her knees collapse, shifting to her side closest to Lavi.

"About?" He switched her hands, rubbing the other one.

"About…not getting answers, about messing everything up, about not getting the answers that I want…" She hesitated and looked away as she whispered, "About us…"

He put his hand on the floor by her hip and tugged on her hand, pulling her closer. "Don't." He said next to her lips.

This close, he was intoxicating. His scent, his face…everything sent her into a state of mind rarely achieved by human or immortal. "Don't what?" She breathed. Too close too close too close…

"Don't worry about us." He kissed her softly, his lips just brushing hers.

Tsume trembled in response and pulled back a little, confused. "But…"

"No." He said firmly and kissed her again, this time it was strong and unwavering. There was no doubting his feelings for her.

When they broke away, she laced her fingers with his. "Then what are we going to do when…" She took a shaky breath. "When the others arrive?"

"I can keep a secret."

She smiled. "Really now…"

"No really!" He acted offended, but he smiled back. "I can!"

She laid her head in the crook of his neck, moving closer to him. "Alright…we'll keep it a secret."

He wrapped an arm around her waist and pressed his lips against her head. This was some secret; a glorious deception he'd die to keep no matter what.

-

Lindy was driving everyone nuts.

Not that the continued travel wasn't killing the mood as well…

Though alike to their immortal friend in several ways, Lindy still had a defining personality that rubbed them raw at times. For example, unlike Tsume, Lindy insisted on using her powers constantly and not always for good. Lindy had the incredible power of telekinesis and often used it to torment people.

Especially Allen.

Definitely Allen.

The only two things she didn't seem to mess with were The Bookman and Timcampy. Timcampy had attached herself to Lindy anyway, leaving Allen gloomy and betrayed.

One evening, it got to be too much. Lenalee almost had to hold Allen down from fighting with Lindy.

Lindy smirked, her eyes watching the boy carefully as she placed a sucker in her mouth. The immortal always seem to have a limitless supply of suckers stashed on her person.

"Allen! Come on!" Lenalee grabbed his arm and started to drag him away. "This isn't the place for a fight!"

"Fight?" Lindy said with a type of pseudo-innocence that set Allen's teeth on edge. "I wouldn't _dream_ of fighting a little boy! I was just…making observations…!"

"You were being insulting!" Allen yelled.

"Allen! COME ON!!" Lenalee jerked him back by the collar of his shirt.

Lindy, her objective reached, offered an apple to Timcampy and hummed a nameless tune as she tuned Allen out. She pulled the sucker stick out of her mouth and tossed it on the ground carelessly.

The Bookman and Kanda glanced at each other. The elder got up and followed Allen and Lenalee out of the room.

Lindy walked over and waved an apple in front of Kanda's face. "Want one?"

"No." He said irritably. He growled as the apple wobbled out of her hand and started making slow lazy circles around his head.

Lindy smirked and sat next to him. "I've noticed your…lack of support for Whitey." She waved her fingers lazily in circles with the apple. "Any reason in particular."

"He annoys me." Kanda replied coldy.

Lindy smirked and the apple flew past Kanda's nose and hit her palm with a slap. She took a bite, watching him. "Really? Tell me more."

"Don't you have something better to do?" He looked away.

Lindy's eyes narrowed slightly. "Do you like 'Tsume'?"

He stiffened. That was completely left field. "What?"

Lindy smiled from behind the apple, holding it in front of her face as she looked at him. She placed her back against the arm of the seat and bent her knees in front, her toes barely touching Kanda's thigh. "Well…? Do you?"

He didn't move away. "No."

She set her apple aside and Timcampy devoured it. "You really don't know anything about us…do you?"

"About the Jonah?" He finally looked at her. "Why?"

She shrugged, her black hair framing her pale face. "You don't seem to know what to do with me."

Mugen floated up above his vision. He inhaled sharply and grabbed for it. It flew past his hands and settled against the creamy white skin of Lindy's throat. She smiled at him, pulling out another sucker. She stuck it against her tongue, her teeth clicking against its hard shell as her eyes flashed. "Should you kill me…?" She took the sucker away and laughed, Mugen floating back into Kanda's reach. "Let me rephrase that. Do you want to kill me?" She tilted her head to the side, smiling.

"I killed Tsume." He said, sounding like he was debating inwardly. He took his sword out of the air.

"She almost killed you for it too." Lindy's eyes lit up. "Did it hurt? Was she angry?" She leaned forward.

"Why…?" Kanda leaned away. Lindy was really starting to creep him out.

"Don't you know?" Lindy tilted her head to the side. "The Jonah's all have clans within the great clan. They're the seven deadly sins." She smiled as he gave her a curious look. "My my….you don't know anything…do you?" She leaned back. "My clan's Wrath. Amazing, isn't it?"

Kanda's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Why was she suddenly talking to him? She'd been tight lipped this entire trip anytime they tried to ask her things.

Lindy continued, absently eating the sucker. "Too bad about the curse though."

"Curse?"

"You don't know?" She smiled. "Nasty surprise for our dear 'Tsume'." Her tongue rubbed against the sucker and he wet his lips. Something about this insane girl made him nervous and…something else; some kind of curious emotion that built up in the pit of his stomach. He looked away, disturbed.

"We have a cycle of twenty years before we go back to year one, not remembering a thing. God's little present for his Avengers." Lindy smirked, but she seemed angry. "The second it hits midnight on our twenty first birthday, we turn to helpless squalling…things with no idea who we really are and where we're going."

"So then how do you understand what you are now?" Kanda turned his sword over and over in his hands.

"We have bases set up all over the world. They have volumes of journals from all the years we've walked this world. Not only that, we have a special…what do you call it, coming of age ceremony…" She smiled. "It allows us to remember everything."

He nodded and they both fell silent.

Finally Kanda broke the silence. "Why so talkative?"

"Because I expect something in return." Lindy stuck the sucker completely in her mouth, smiling at him from beneath long black eye lashes.

"What? Money?" Kanda drawled, looking up.

"Something better." Lindy said around the sucker as she leaned towards him. Suddenly they were nose to nose. "I wanna kiss."

"No." Kanda never hesitated. Just flat out rejection.

Lindy chuckled a little and retreated. She shrugged. "I guess you'll owe me then…won't you?" She stood up, her back to him. "Hey. Wanna know the best way to kill a Jonah?"

"Hm."

"A Noah." She smiled again. "A fight to the death. Isn't that…exciting…?" She licked her lips and let a laugh bubble up in her throat as she left the car.

Kanda, fully disturbed, turned back to the window. It wasn't because she was creepy. Oh no, just the opposite. He might just like this girl.

-

"Lavi…"

He groaned. "Five more minutes sweetheart. Pleeeaaasseee…?" He snuggled deeper into the blankets.

"Lavi, if you don't get up, I'll sing a song."

"That's random." He said dryly.

Tsume laughed. "I'm serious! And then you'll have to wake up because no one can last that long listening to my voice!"

"Hm."

"One…"

He smiled. She was so cute when she was bossy.

"Two…"

Suddenly he reached up and secured his arms around her waist, bringing her down next to him.

She yelped. "No! Let go!" She laughed and tried to push him off as he buried his face in her neck. She stopped struggling and finally said softly. "Do you know anything about a…a 'Great Heart'?"

Lavi's head shot up. "What?"

Tsume looked away and bit her lip. "It's just a song…it's been…searing itself into my head…I woke up singing it."

"What does it say?"

Tsume spoke softly, but the effect was dark and forbidding. "The Millennium Earl is searching, he is searching for his precious heart. Let's check to see if you are it…"

Lavi stared at her. "The general…that came in and died…"

"Hm?" Tsume looked at him.

"He was singing that song before he died…"

"Why did he die?" Tsume asked, her eyes wide.

"The Noah tortured him." Lavi sat up. "But why were you singing it?"

"I….I think it's Their fault." Tsume closed her eyes, looking pained. "The farther east we go the more…I don't know, strange…I feel."

He took her hand and her eyes fluttered open. He smiled at her. "It's okay. We'll just get you to remember everything and everything will be alright after that."

She smiled sadly. "You're such a liar."

"Everyone has their faults." He teased. "Speaking of which…" He poked her and she jumped. "You could let me save you once in a while instead of pushing me out of the way."

Tsume rolled her eyes. "Next time we're in danger, I'll just stand there, okay?" She brought her hands up to her mouth and feigned helplessness. "Oh whatever shall I do? Save me, Lavi!"

"Sarcastic little…" He tickled her sides until she squirmed out of his grip, laughing as she stood. He got up and took her hand, kissing her cheek softly. "Food, Madame Blue Eyes?"

"Why I thought you'd never ask." She smiled at him.

He smoothed out her hair again then kissed her forehead. "Let's go." He swung their hands and held open the door for her.

-

"She's humming again…" Kanda's temple twitched as he paced around at the train station. "That same creepy little song about the Earl…"

"Maybe she just has the song stuck in her head." Lenalee shrugged.

"A rather morbid song to have stuck in your head, I should think." Commented the Bookman dryly.

"La dee dee la da dee da!" Lindy skipped up to them, wearing a black frilly dress with boots and a purple jacket over it. As ever, she was wearing her pendant. "Train leaves in two minutes." She smiled and wiggled her fingers at Kanda. "Hey there."

"Hm." He turned away, his arms crossed.

Lindy giggled.

"We'd better get on, then." The Bookman suggested.

"You guys go on ahead. I'll go find Allen." Lindy waved and turned to find the white haired boy. She hummed her way through the crowds of people. "Allen…"

-

"Looks like it's almost healed." Allen said to Timcampy, examining his eye in the bathroom mirror.

Timcampy nudged his head in response.

Allen laughed and cupped Timcampy in his hands. "Let's go get on the train."

-

Kanda looked around as the conductor called out, "All Aboard!"

"They're not here…" Lenalee pursed her lips.

"I'll go look for them." Kanda volunteered. He stood.

"You'll catch up when you find them." The Bookman nodded at him.

Kanda nodded back and jumped off the train.

There was a flurry of motion as the last of the passengers boarded the train. The horn sounded and the train started into motion.

He frowned. Where was Lindy and Beansprout? Surely one of them would be visible by now…

He waited until all was quiet. The train gone, the passengers cleared, and the cargo for the next train ready to go. No one was standing on the empty station. He looked up at the lone street lamp illuminating everything in the dark and exhaled shortly in irritation. Where were they?

"AAAHHHRRGGHHH!!!!"

Kanda watched in amazement as a beefy man flew through the air over top of the train station, landing in a pile of boxes with a crash.

Lindy stepped out of the shadows, Allen running from behind her to the man.

"Are you okay, mister?!" He said anxiously. "She didn't mean it!"

Lindy smirked. "Yes I did. He was pawing you, kid! I didn't want to watch." She put her hands behind her back and walked up to Kanda. "Hi. Did you come looking for us?" She gave him a sly look under her black eyelashes.

"Where were you?" Kanda asked angrily. "The train left already!"

Lindy pouted. "I was finding Allen…He got grabbed by this perverted old man-"

"I am…!" A hand reached out of the dust and arrested Allen's collar. "The mayor and he…is going to help us…!" He stood up, looking scary with bits of wood sticking out of his hair. "We have a vampire problem!"

"Vampire?" All three chorused, two of them incredulous, the other excited.

Lindy turned to Kanda, clutching his sleeve. "Oh can't we help them, Kanda? Please? Pleeeasssee???"

"No." Kanda said angrily, jerking his arm away.

Lindy paused, and then pointed. "I don't think we have a choice."

Kanda blinked and then groaned as he saw the mayor making off with Allen towards the village. Lord above, why did this always happen to him? He was half tempted to leave the white haired child and take off. "Come on…" He growled, stomping off in the direction the kidnapper took. "I'm gonna keep you in my site at all times until we get Allen and get back."

"Oh baby." Lindy giggled. "Admit it, this is a little fun!" She stretched. "No dumb humans around, anyway." She commented.

Kanda looked around. She was right. For a small town, it was fairly unpopulated. And the long walk from the train station to the village was unlit and shrouded with tall trees. His boots crunched in the snow as he listened for any noise besides their footsteps.

Lindy hummed her little tune again as she telekinetically lifted a bunch of snow and shaped it into a perfect circle as they walked a long. Several of its kind joined it to do a lazy dance around the swordsman's head.

Kanda angrily swatted them away. "I'm not going to play with you."

"That's okay." She smirked. "I'm sure the vampire will."

Kanda glanced at her, and then allowed himself a small smirk as well.

~shorter chapter this time. Sorry. I'll work on it…!!~


	8. Immortality Is Bloody Lips

~Wow. I went back through and read everything and realized I have inconsistencies. Sad news Jack…but I kinda like how I'm starting each chapter out with a quote now. Btw, there's a movie quote in each chapter from 7 till here on out.: D message me if you think you know what it is! I wanna see if there's any other movie buffs out there! Don't own D. Gray-Man.~

Chapter 8: Immortality Is Bloody Lips

"_Fighting is essentially a masculine idea; a woman's weapon is her tongue."_

_-Hermione Gingold _

The snow was bright and pure, enveloping the sleeping trees and the road they guarded.

Tsume and Lavi walked down the road, suitcases in tow and the snow underfoot. His footsteps, casual and steady; her's scattered and all over the place with her new discoveries.

She shivered as she settled into a steady pace beside him. "How long is it till our first destination?"

"Bout two days by foot." He stuck a hand deep into the pocket of his coat and lifted the suitcase over his shoulder. "Good thing the most likely destination is the closest, eh? We might just get lucky and not have to travel anymore."

Tsume nodded and silence fell between the two.

Lavi watched, amused, as she skipped over to investigate an odd looking tree. He shook his head and turned his eyes back to the road. It was like Christmas for her.

Tsume suddenly linked her arm with his. "Let's play twenty questions. You ask twenty and then I will."

He barked a laugh. "Oh that'd work! I'd ask you a question and you wouldn't be able to remember…you'd ask me a question and I wouldn't be able to tell you…"

"So you can't tell me your favorite color?" Tsume asked slyly.

"Green."

"Or your favorite book?"

"Read too many to have a favorite."

"How about your favorite song?"

"Anything you sing."

Tsume blushed and pressed her face into his shoulder. "That's cheating!"

He smiled his eyes straight ahead. "Not if it's true. You've got seventeen questions left."

Tsume smiled evilly, pulling her face out of his jacket. "Good. I've always wanted to ask this…" She took a deep breath. "Did you ask Kanda to save me from Harver and Leever that day in the cafeteria?"

Lavi froze. "Err…"

"You did, didn't you?" Tsume's eyes sparkled with laughter.

"I might have been involved in the…uh…final decision to uh…intervene…" He said awkwardly, pulling at his scarf. His ears were turning red.

"Well thank you." Tsume kissed his cheek and his entire face turned vermillion. She laughed.

He cleared his throat. "Sixteen more."

This went on for another hour or so, her asking questions and him answering to the best of his ability. They finally stopped for lunch when her questions dried up.

"My turn." He grunted as he shifted his suitcase over his shoulder and to the ground. "What's your favorite color?"

"Red." Tsume sat down and looked up at him.

He sat next to her. "Favorite food?"

"Coffee." She smiled.

He laughed. "Okay…can you dance?"

"That was random!" She laughed awkwardly and blushed a little. "I really can't…I mean…like the waltz and things like that…I just can't do it…"

"Never tried or never learned?"

"Never learned. You don't get people willing or able to teach that down in South America."

He stood and offered his hand. "Come on. Get up."

She blinked. "Wha…?" She took his hand slowly.

He pulled her up, grinning. "I'm gonna show you how to dance."

She blushed even more. "What??" She looked away and laughed awkwardly again. "Do you even know how to dance, Lavi?"

He paused for a second. "A bit…"

"I don't think that makes you able to teach."

"I can teach if you let me." He pulled her closer. "Now look, your hand goes here…" He placed it on his shoulder and grasped the other one. "…And the other one goes like this." He placed his hand on her shoulder blade and supported her right arm with his left. "See?"

She started chewing on her lip. "'Kay…"

"So then I start like this…" He stepped forward and would've stepped on her toes if she hadn't jerked them out of the way in time. "Sorry." He apologized, his eyes on his feet.

"No, it was my fault." She said quickly.

He led her through the steps of the waltz, counting as he went along. He paused afterwards, looking up at her. "See? Easy!"

She smiled shyly, looking up at him from under her lashes. She nodded.

"Want to try again?"

Another nod.

They started dancing again, Tsume's eyes on her feet and Lavi starting to hum a waltz absently.

Tsume concentrated on making sure she did everything right. She didn't want to screw this up for the world. She looked up in shock as they stopped, her partner's humming absent from the winter air. "Why did we stop?" She asked softly.

Lavi leaned in close so their noses were touching, his hand sliding down to her waist. "Because…" He breathed. "You distracted me." He kissed her gently, his lips just bruising hers.

When they broke away, Tsume reached up and brushed her hand over his cheek. "I like dancing." She murmured.

He chuckled and kissed her again, lunch and journey momentarily forgotten in this moment in time.

-

There was no light in the sky as Lindy and Kanda approached the building the mayor had dragged Allen into. The sun had gone down a while ago and with it, the last hope Kanda had of making a quick getaway.

Lindy smiled evilly and lifted a hand as they approached the front. "Shall I take off the door?" The item in question shuddered in the door frame as if possessed.

"No." Kanda said sharply. "They'll all rush out and occupy us while someone makes off with Bean sprout. The best chance we have is to wait and watch and steal him when we get the chance." He growled. "This is idiotic…! They kidnap him for some ludicrous legend?!"

Lindy flashed him a smile. "It's a vampire, sweetie. I'd give anything to fight one of those."

Kanda opened his mouth to say something but cheers from inside the building sent them crouching against the wall underneath a window.

Orange light spilled onto the dark blue snow as the door burst open and villagers flooded out with Allen in tow.

"Where are they headed?" Kanda muttered.

"Probably up that hill over there to that ominous looking castle." Lindy said dryly and pointed at the place she had just described. She gave him a 'you're a moron' look and stood to follow them.

He blinked then glared at her. "Shut up!" He stood and strode off after her.

Lindy started to skip, a smile on her face again. "You still owe me a kiss, Kanda."

"I owe you nothing!" He said coldly. "I didn't ask for the information you gave me!"

Lindy scowled. "That's not very nice…" She sounded angry.

The swordsman glared. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not very nice." He walked faster as Lindy slowed to a stop, ignoring her now as he traveled up the hill.

To give Kanda some credit, it only took him a few seconds to realize he was no longer walking on the ground. "Wha…?" He reached his fingers towards the snow, only to realize he was being lifted higher into the air. "Lindy!" He turned, livid.

Lindy put a strawberry sucker in her mouth as she looked up at him. "You can come down when you learn to be nicer." She started walking again, an angry, cussing, floating Kanda following.

-

The sky was dark gray with clouds in the evening sky. If it snowed, it would dust the old building Lavi and Tsume had found for that night, the dilapidated roof threatening to cave as it was.

Lavi stared up through a hole in the ceiling, watching smoke from the embers beside him curl against the chill of the winter air. It was freezing, even with the heat source almost against his ribs. But that wasn't the reason he was still awake. He turned on his side and shifted his gaze to Tsume.

She slept peacefully, her pale complexion taking on a gray ashen look in this light. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was dead.

Disturbed at the thought, he sat up and looked around for a stick, throwing the blanket off himself. What was his problem? He'd seen her dead before. The natives killed her down in South America and on the ship she was practically torn to pieces. He grabbed a stick and poked the embers with it, stirring it to a healthy blaze as he wrapped his arm around his legs and laid his head on his arm. He closed his eyes and put the stick down, enjoying the heat on his face. He'd never been so happy, yet so sad. This was all happening and it was wonderful, but it'd end sooner or later. Seeing her in his arms earlier, the new fallen snow clinging to her dark lashes and black hair; seeing it melt on her face as she looked from him, to her feet…It made him wish this would go on forever.

A light touch brought Lavi back to reality. He felt her hands place a blanket over his shoulders.

"You'll die of exposure out here if you're not careful." She said softly as she sat down next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

"And you won't?" He placed an arm around her waist, pulling the blanket up to cover the both of them.

"No…Not really." Tsume replied quietly.

He kissed her forehead and stroked her hair. "Did I wake you?"

"No." She exhaled sleepily.

There was a comfortable silence.

He hesitated, then said, "Is…Is it possible that you can be mortally wounded…? I mean as in it really hurt."

She paused, thinking. "I was when Kanda hacked at me." She said softly. "For some reason, he'd kept his innocence sheathed and just split me open with brute force the first time but…" She shifted from underneath the blanket's protection and slid the collar of her dress over her left shoulder. "It left a scar. I never scar."

Lavi touched the ugly pink mar on her otherwise perfect skin. "He could've killed you…?" He whispered, feeling horror and anger bubble up from the pit of his stomach. It was uncomfortable. For all Kanda's faults, he'd never been angry with him for anything until now.

Tsume shrugged. "I guess."

"How can you be so carefree about it?" Lavi demanded. "He almost killed you, Ro! You wouldn't have come back after that!"

"Because I almost killed him!" She shot back. "You didn't seem to be concerned when I almost ate him alive!"

"That's because I didn't care so much about him!" Lavi snapped. "I was worried about you!"

She looked away and he took deep breaths, trying to calm himself. This was ridiculous. "You should've been more worried about him…He's your friend, Lavi…"

"You're my Ro." He smiled apologetically.

She smiled a bit back but said softly. "I won't always be here, Lavi. Your friends will. I…can't stay with you forever…"

He stared into the fire, thinking. He took her hand and she turned to him, her eyes sad. He drew closer, cupping her face in his hand as he rubbed his thumb over her cheek. "If I tell you I love you…" He whispered. "…Can I keep you forever…?"

Tsume's eyes widened and then she smiled sadly, putting a hand over his. "You know it doesn't work that way…"

"I want to pretend it does tonight." He pressed his forehead against hers. "Please let me…" He breathed.

Tears streamed down her face as they kissed softly, the unfair world and the judging stars the only witnesses to their desperate encounter in the abandoned snowy wilderness.

-

"The second I get down there, your ass is mine!" Kanda hissed.

"Promise?" Lindy smirked, looking up at him.

He crossed his arms, growling. It was like a constant power struggle with her, neither one wanting to give an inch. "Just put me down!"

Lindy chuckled, and then froze. "There're people coming." She raised a hand and brought Kanda down on his feet into the snow. "Hide."

They ducked behind the trees as the villagers who kidnapped Allen ran past, screaming bloody murder.

Lindy popped up out of the bushes after they were gone, her amber eyes sparkling. "I think they just saw the vampire! Let's go!" She jumped onto the main road.

Kanda followed. "Did you see Allen anywhere in the crowd?"

"Nope! He must've been kidnapped…" Lindy wiggled her eyebrows. "…by the vampire…!"

"You sound overjoyed by this." Kanda said flatly, tramping through the snow towards the castle.

"Maybe I am." Lindy stuck her tongue out at him.

They walked in forgivable, blessed silence the rest of the way.

At the large open doors, they looked up at the castle before them. It was huge, foreboding, and gave one the sense of dying on the inside.

"Well." Lindy turned to Kanda, sticking another sucker in her mouth. "Should we separate?"

"No, I-"

An explosion shuddered out the side, causing a cloud of dust to envelope them.

Kanda held up an arm, narrowing his eyes against the airborne grit. "I'd bet anything that was Bean sprout."

"Let's find out, shall we?" Lindy started jogging towards the rubble.

They found Allen digging up what looked like a grave.

"Of all the stuff I caught you doing…" Lindy joked, leaning on the cross that served as a grave marker.

Allen smiled. "Hey guys! Just in time! There's something weird going on here."

Kanda ignored him and looked around, hand on the hilt of his sword. Something about this place made him uneasy…

"You mean besides the vampire?" Lindy said dryly.

"Yeah. Help me dig this up." Allen dug his shovel into the dirt.

"What's 'this'?" Lindy shifted away from the marker and wrinkled her nose. "Smells funky."

"That's because it's a dead body." Allen said impatiently.

Lindy, looking interested now, raised her hand.

The ground shook as something started to force its way out of it. Like a shot, a coffin burst out of the dirt and floated over Allen's head.

Allen yelled and the coffin wobbled precariously, as if frightened by his shouts.

Lindy grimaced and clenched her hand into a fist.

The coffin lowered to the ground beside Allen and the lid slid off.

"Don't you come in handy?" Kanda said condescendingly from beside her. "Do you open cans too?"

"No, but I open people up…" She jabbed him in the stomach where Tsume had torn him open.

He grunted and leaned forward, his hand digging into the flesh around his now inflamed scar. It burnt almost as bad as when she'd first sliced him.

Lindy smirked, nose to nose with him. "Get my drift, baby?"

He glared at her. "Keep pushing it, ho."

"Hey guys! This guy was an akuma!" Allen interrupted.

They turned their heads.

"What?" Kanda snapped.

Allen rushed over to one of the other graves as the beheld the partially decomposed demon. "Look! There are pentacles on the dirt on these graves too!"

"Which means…?" Lindy frowned.

Allen blinked, looking stunned. "I don't think the count's a vampire…I think he's one of us."

"I'll show you a vampire, brat!" Something hissed from the shadows of a tree.

Lindy and Kanda blinked in surprise as a man grabbed Allen and bit into his neck, tearing some of the skin and cutting through his white hair. He pulled away as quickly as he came, leaving Allen on his knees holding his neck. He laughed. "How's that for a vampire?!" He emphasized the last word by throwing Allen back through the wall of the castle. The vampire then turned to the other two and hissed like a heathen.

"Great." Lindy drawled. "A vampire with an identity crisis." She turned away, starting to walk towards the large hole in the wall. "You fight it, Kanda. I'm bored of it already. Let me know if it decides if it's a bloodsucker or not."

"Where're you going?!" Kanda yelled, Mugen in front of him between him and the vampire.

"I'm gonna go find the boy!" Lindy yelled back. "I am so pissed…" She muttered as she stepped past the rubble. "Why can't something go right, just this once?" She looked around, peering through the dusty gloom. "Allen? Allen!"

SLAM!

"I won't let you take him away from me!" A female voice yelled.

Lindy blinked. That was new. Count Moron had a girlfriend? She pressed herself against the wall, looking towards the light and the shadows lengthened from their owners to the wall. "Whatever Vamp's girlfriend is, she sure isn't human…" Lindy wrinkled her nose.

"Who's there?!"

Lindy froze. She didn't mean to be that loud. Might as well come out and try to grab Allen. She held up her hands and put on a sarcastic smile. "Hey there…" She stepped into the light. "I'm just here for my lunch you stole over there." She gestured to Allen.

She was beautiful, her blond hair in pig tails that lay over her shoulders. She was wearing a short skirted nurse's outfit with high heeled boots. She would've looked completely human, if it weren't for the crazed gleam in her eye and the axe in her hand. She was standing over Allen and it looked like Lindy had saved him from getting hacked apart. "Who're you?" She hissed, her voice sounding slightly demonic.

"The bigger fish on the food chain." Lindy smirked. "Give me my boy."

The woman laughed the sound screeching and no longer pretty. She stepped away from Allen, turned now to engage Lindy. "Aren't you cute, sweetie? You humans are all the same…"

Lindy gasped as the axe thudded into her abdomen with a sickening crunch. The woman had thrown it.

"…You don't think out your rescue missions." She laughed again.

Lindy giggled the sound sick because of the liquid beginning to bubble up in her throat. She grabbed hold of the hilt of the axe and with a twist and a jerk; it came free of her flesh. "Who said anything about being human…?" She emphasized the last word by throwing it back at her attacker.

The woman turned, the blade barely clipping a strand of her hair. "Wha…?"

Lindy grabbed her arm and flung her into the wall opposite of Allen. The unconscious boy's best chance was if she got Count Moron's creepy girlfriend away from him. "And stay there!" Lindy called out, walking up jauntily to the collapsed woman.

She growled and pulled herself out of the rubble.

Lindy slammed a boot down next to her head and the woman froze. "What did I say?" Blood trickled out of her mouth and she licked her lips, staining them red.

"What are you?"

"You're worst nightmare." Lindy pulled back her fist and slammed it into the woman's face, her body bent in half with her leg still planted against the wall. She put her foot down and grabbed the woman by her dress and tossed her down the hall.

The woman's body skidded down, crying out with each thump against the stone or carpet.

Lindy licked some blood off her fingers, jerking her other hand. There was a sound like metal screeching and her fingers elongated into characteristic Jonah claws. "Let's dance, little girl."

The woman stood, glanced around, and grabbed a sword from a suit of armor nearby. "You're lucky I don't want to transform all the way and ruin my perfect look." The woman's eyes were black with gold pupils.

"You're lucky you're not dead by now." Lindy smirked.

The woman charged with a yell and Lindy met her head on, sliding back a few feet from the pure force. They disengaged and the woman lobbed at Lindy's deformed arm.

Lindy pulled her arm away and round house kicked the woman in the stomach.

She flew back a couple feet, her back slamming into a wall. She ducked as Lindy smashed her hand into the wall.

Lindy cursed as she tried to pull it out. It was stuck. She'd have to transform more to pull it out.

The wall shuddered when she yanked.

The whole castle was coming down anyway. She'd kill Bean sprout like this. She grimaced and glanced around for the woman.

Lindy gasped as pain shot up from her abdomen. She looked down, gaping, as a sword forced its bloody way out of her body and tapped the mortar in between the stones of the wall she was stuck to. She slumped, groaning as the sword sliced further up into her chest area.

"And stay there." The woman's mocking voice was the last thing Lindy heard before another sword was slammed through her body and she passed out.

The woman laughed and brushed her hands together, as if brushing off dust. She turned her head in the direction she was walking, then gasped and stopped. "You…" She said, shocked. "You were…unconscious… how did you…?"

"I can see." Allen spoke softly but his voice reverberated through the walls. Both of his eyes were open. "I can see that black and white world."

The woman snorted, tucking her hair behind her ears. "Whatever. I guess I'll have to transform to get rid of you." Her face separated and her entire body stretched out like a centipede.

Allen held up his arm and took a shot.

She bended her body into an O and the shot passed harmlessly through the hole. She laughed. "You're gonna have to try harder!"

Lindy's breathe rasped back into her lungs. Shakily, she stretched an arm behind her and reached blindly for the hilt in her back. She licked her lips, coming back with a blood coated tongue. She grasped the handle and took a deep breath as she pulled it out, gasping as the last of it came free. She shuddered as she stumbled back a few steps, and then yanked her arm out of the wall. Who cared if it came down? She could save Bean sprout before he died. The building groaned but didn't collapse as she had feared.

There was an explosion to her left and she weakly turned her head. There was a hole in the wall, the dust just setting. Bean sprout must've taken on the girlfriend.

Lindy gripped the hand and dragged an arm over her lips. She stumbled towards the hole in the wall and stepped out on to a partially destroyed balcony. She leaned over the edge and saw Allen and Kanda trying to fend off a large man eating plant while a creature blew bubbles at the vampire. One of the bubbles hit a piece of the plant and sucked all the water out of it. She frowned, tongue in cheek. She had to get Allen and Kanda out of there somehow. Lindy stumbled again, almost going over the edge. But she was still so weak. There was no way she'd be able to get down there and save them. She could levitate them to where she was. Trying the smaller of the two, she lifted Allen out of the snarling pit of vines and carnivorous flowers a few feet. The flower noticed and dragged him back down with a snarl. She needed a distraction.

The sword!

Lindy stood, gripped the hilt with the blade down, and flung it at the biggest flower about to eat Kanda.

The vines shook and loosened enough that the exorcists started to fall.

Lindy grimaced and started to lift them, beads of sweat breaking out all over her body.

The vines realized its prize was gone and started for the exorcists.

"Hurry up, Lindy!" Kanda yelled.

Lindy snarled in reply and lifted them up the last ten feet at an alarming rate. She couldn't hold them anymore and let them collapse on the balcony beside her as she fell to her knees, gasping for air.

"'Bout time!" Kanda snapped, standing up and brushing himself off. "What took you so lo-?!" He paused as she got down on her hands and knees and threw up blood. "Allen, did you shoot her?"

"What…" Allen asked, dazed.

Kanda grabbed Allen by the collar of his shirt, angrier then usual. "Did. You. Shoot. Her."

"No!" Allen yelled, struggling angrily. "Eliade, the akuma, stabbed her! She was unconscious last time I checked!"

Lindy grabbed Kanda's pant leg, her cheek pressed to the blood covered stone floor. "He's telling…truth…Kanda…"

Kanda pushed him away. "And you!" He rounded on Lindy. "I didn't asked to be saved—I didn't need to be!"

"Leave her alone, Kanda!" Allen yelled at him.

Lindy stood up as he screamed at her.

"You almost killed me with your half-ass rescue mission! What the hell is your problem anyway?!"

Gripping her stomach, she smirked. "You owe me two kisses now."

"Like hell I do!"

"I understand." She shrugged, wincing. "Most men don't have the balls to do it.

Kanda growled.

"That's right." She was nose to nose with him now. "I just said you were ball-less. Are you made because it's true?" She smiled and said softly. "You're just mad because you're afraid…"

"Of what?"

"That I might mean more to you then you hoped."

Her lips were so close. Her breath raised the hairs on the back of his neck. She was right. She did mean more to him then he originally thought—then he had originally hoped. And he hated her for that.

He grabbed the back of her head, her short black hair knotted between his long fingers as he smashed her lips against his.

She responded to his kiss, grabbing the front of his uniform, making a small noise in the back of her throat.

He broke away, focusing his smoldering black eyes on her golden ones, blood smeared across his lips.

She stared back. "That's one." She breathed.

Allen, who was in shock, whistled. "And I thought you were gay, Kanda."

Kanda whirled around, looking murderous.

And that's when the rain started.

They all looked up.

"What's going on? Is it raining?" Allen blinked.

"I think it might be from the monster down there…" Lindy spoke thoughtfully, holding onto Kanda's sleeve. "She was shooting bubbles that sucked up all the water out of the plant just a bit ago."

"So if this is the water from those bubbles…she must be…" Kanda said thoughtfully.

"Arystar!" Allen yelled and jumped down.

Kanda turned. "You tricked me into that."

"I did." Lindy smiled her eyes bright as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And you liked it."

He frowned. "I did—"

She cut him off, kissing him roughly. "You did like it. Trust me." She trailed a finger down his chest to his abdomen. "I can tell."

-

Heheh…I'm a terrible person. CLIFFHANGER!!


End file.
